#I eat questions like this like a juicy mango

[bennydwight]

What's your favorite part of Two Kids and Their Cars Au? I just recently discovered it and I love it!!!

Ahhhhhh I saw all your notes on my TKATC pieces and you made my daaaay!!! ❤ I'm so glad you like it!

My favourite part of the AU (and possibly what put the idea in my head in the first place) was the potential for both Stan and Steven to grow and develop as emerging adults by interacting with each other. The Summer Job AU touched on their relationship a little, but since Stan was so much older there was a different sort of caretaking dynamic. I loved the idea of a very world-wise, action oriented boy kicked out by his family playing off a sheltered child soldier who's incredibly in touch with everyone's feelings except his own. Then, there's the double-protection angle, where they're both so used to shielding others from damage that neither know what to do when suddenly being shielded by someone else.

Two emotionally immature (yes, even Steven) teenagers who butt heads over differing upbringings/ideologies/worldviews, but choose to stay together and face the world head-on anyway. Polar opposites on the outside, but more alike than even they know.

Wow I really love the potential. 🥰

[watsittoyah]

Along Came A Spider…2099

Warnings-Sexual content, time travel, oral sex, rough sex, fang play, size kink, breeding kink, slight angst…

(My Spanish isn’t great, so I did use google translate to help…)

Chapter 7- Everything is not what it seems…

It was the last night of your vacation and you really didn’t want to go back home. You were relaxed and well rested.

“Here mi amor. This piece is juicy.” Miguel feeds you a piece of mango and you moan because of the taste and juice. “I am going to miss eating mangos on this hammock.” You say as you sit up.

“I’ll miss it as well, but we can always come back.” Miguel kisses your shoulder and cuts more of the mango and eats a piece. You then remember what awaits you when you get back to Nueva York and you groan leaning against Miguel’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“I still have to have that dinner with your ex. Do you think you can get Spider-Man to help me out?” He hands you another piece. “I can see what I can do. Maybe I can swoop in and save the day.”

“Yeah, maybe you can like throw her out a window too.” Miguel shakes his head. “Amor…”

“Okay, okay. I’ll throw her out the window.” You joke. Miguel gets up and he helps you out of the hammock. “Let’s go my little villainess. I have one more thing that I want to do with you before we have to get back home.”

“I thought we were staying in tonight?” You ask as you two walk into the house. “We are and we aren’t. You go ahead and get dressed and meet me in a few. Wear that pretty dress I bought you and wear those gold heels.” Before you could ask anymore questions, Miguel had ushered you into one direction while he goes another.

I guess you’re getting dressed.

You had a few things packed up like your souvenirs, and your clothes you’ve wore and washed. You pull out the gorgeous scarlet red dress that Miguel wanted you to wear. It was floor length and you take out your six inch golden heels.

As you get dressed, you look around the room and smile. This week was probably the best week you’ve ever had. You got to go scuba diving, seen the sights. You even got to eat delicious foods and spent a great amount of time with Miguel. This vacation was well deserved.

You put on your earrings and look yourself over in the mirror. This dress made your body look amazing. It clung to the right places and smoothed out others. You grab your lipstick and carefully put it on, you pull your braids up in a high bun and smile. “Perfect.”

Your heels clack across the floor and on the way out of the room you freeze. Something about this, it seems familiar. “What is up with this feeling?” You take a step forward and find Miguel wearing a suit.

“Miss Valentine. Please come with me.” He holds out his hand to you and you take it, hiking up your dress just a little so you don’t trip.

You hear music playing and you follow Miguel until you see a candle light dinner. “Miguel when did you have time to do this?” You ask as he pulls out your seat for you.

“I’ve had this planned since the first day. You know it’s pretty tricky making sure you didn’t know until now.” He says as he sits down.

On the table were red rose petals and two covered dishes. He nods for you to see and you expect to find food under the tray but instead you see a box.

“Miguel what’s this?” You look up and see him standing. “Just a gift for the wonderful woman in my life.” He picks up the box and opens it. Revealing an opal and rose gold necklace. “Here let me.” Miguel places it the necklace on for you and you immediately get up. “Baby, thank you, thank you, thank you!” You kiss him leaving lipstick marks all over his face. He smiles as you wipe it off. “There’s one more gift. Now close your eyes, and hold out your left hand.”

You frown at the instructions but you do as you’re told. “Mantenlos cerrados, princesa.” He says to you. “Miguel my eyes are closed, come on.” You feel him waving his hand in front of your eyes and you stand still in anticipation.

You then hear a loud alarm and you openly your eyes out of fear. “Forgive me. I need to answer this.” Miguel walks away from you and he speaks into his smart watch. You can’t hear what he’s saying but the look in his eyes he gets looking over at you tells you that he’s going to have to leave.

He walks back over to you after he was done with his conversation and he looked guilty. “What’s wrong?” You ask feeling scared. “It’s nothing serious, but I need to leave for just a few hours. As soon as I’m done I’m coming back to you. I guess you’ll have to wait for your other surprise.” Miguel kisses your cheek and he runs into the house.

“Wait Miguel! Where are you-“ You enter the house and strangely you knew he wasn’t there. “Going… Miguel?” You call out to him but there was no answer. Your hand touches the necklace and you sigh.

This is your life now, dating a hero means you’ll have special moments like this and it’ll get interrupted. Which this was okay. This is what you signed up for. The thing that you didn’t understand was how did Miguel just disappear from the house?

••••

Erica was smothering you with her boobs and telling you to never leave her that long again. “Get your tiddies out of my face!” She lets you go and you scoop up Milo. “Hi baby boy. I missed you.”

“You heifer! You don’t miss me but you miss my cat? Give me my son.” You laugh and give her a side hug. “I missed you too E. I got you and our friends some souvenirs. Let me just go unpack and then I’ll give it to you.”

You put Milo down and he meows and runs to the kitchen. “You’re a whole different breed, T. You’re the only person I know who gets home and immediately unpacks.”

“Who sits there and unpacks weeks or months later?” Erica points to herself. “Normal people.” You roll your eyes at her and she watches you unpack a bit.

“Where Miguel? I figured you two would be joined at the hip and talking about getting married by now.”

“He had to handle some business. So he won’t be spending the night.” Erica studies you and she sits on your bed. “What’s wrong?” You want to tell her the weird feeling you had but instead you bring up the other subject thats on your mind.

“So long story short, I have to have dinner with Miguel’s ex.”

“WHAT!? Explain please I need details, I need to know her name. What does this hoe look like?” You knew Erica was down for whatever and you loved her for it. “I’ll pause unpacking and tell you everything if you grab your laptop, some snacks and something harder than lemonade.”

“Girl shit you ain’t say nothing but a word. I’ll be back on five minutes. Milo! Don’t come in here we’re doing hot girl shit!”

About an hour later, Erica was stalking Dana’s socials. “She had the nerve to say hmm I see he has a type.” You say as you take a sip of wine. “The fuck is that suppose to mean? See she was kinda cute but that was ugly. I see why he dumped her ass. Just a bully.”

“I will say she does look like a model. And she has pretty hair.” You say as you twirl your fingers around one of your braids. “Girl I know a Brazilian twenty four inch bust down when I see one, snatch that bitch off and she’s bald headed. She’s not all that. Miguel upgraded when he got with you. Oop hold up, look at this.”

You move across the bed and you look at Erica’s laptop. She points and on her Facegram she had posted a memory.

The memory was a photo of her and Miguel at some fancy dinner. The caption says: Here with my date, isn’t he the cutest?

Miguel looked blankly at the camera while Dana was smiling like a child on Christmas.

“Save my boy, Miguelito! He looks miserable.” Erica bursts out laughing and you look at the date. “This was from last year. From today. Why did she repost this today?” You ask out loud. “I don’t know she’s weird. Didn’t you say that Miguel said she had issues?”

You nod and you take Erica’s laptop and look at Dana’s post. You look at her page and see she has a few posts about charity evens and even some posts about vacations, but those were dated months ago.

Why did she repost this picture the day you came back from your vacation? Were you being paranoid? Was there something behind this?

You close the laptop and you down the rest of your wine. “I’m going to keep an eye out on her. There’s something about her that I don’t like.”

“Well I don’t like her period. So when you go to that dinner I’m coming.” You give her a look. “Now how are you going to be coming?” She shrugs. “I don’t know, but I’m not letting you be alone with that wanna be Bratz doll. Wait I take that back, I liked my Bratz dolls when I was little. She’s more like a furbie. You know those ugly little things back in the day?” You nod and get up out of your bed.

“I’m getting some more wine do you want some?” Erica yawns and shakes her head. “No, but I’m sleeping in your bed tonight. I hope you don’t mind.” You leave the room and as you get some more wine you see your phone light up on the counter. You check it and see you have a voicemail from Miguel. You go ahead and give it a listen.

“Hola amor. I’m sorry for not seeing you off to your apartment. I’m going to be busy for a while. It’s some lab things and you know my other job. But I want to say again that I enjoyed being with you this past week. And when I am finished up, I want to talk to you about something. Huh? Oh…Tommy mi amor, I love you. I’ll talk to you soon.” The voice mail ends and you smile at your phone.

As you turn to go back to your room, you swear you see something pass the window. You stop and you look at the window.

Something…

Something was at the window but you don’t see it. You walk up to the window even though in your head, it’s telling you to stop. It’s telling you to turn around and don’t look at the window. You cup your eyes and search and-

“T! Can you make sure Milo has water?” Erica calls out. “Yeah sure!” You say back as you turn your back to the window.

You can’t see it, but something was out there…

•••

“Are you sure you can’t kidnap me for the night?” You ask as you look at your calendar as you switch your phone from your left to your right ear. Miguel chuckles over the other end. “Amor, if it’s so bad then just push back the dinner.”

“I did, twice. I can’t push it back anymore. I have to go tonight. Can you stay close by?” You ask him as you grab a pleated skirt and cute shirt from your closet. “I will, but I thought Erica was going to be with you?”

“Her boss is making her work late tonight.” You tell him. “I’ll be close by, amor. I promise.” You groan at your outfit because you wanted to be perfect. You didn’t want Dana to out dress you.

“Amor, I know you. Are you overthinking your outfit? Video call me, and show me.” You two hang up and then you video call Miguel. He answered immediately. You prop your phone on your desk and then you show him your outfit.

“I feel like I look like a school girl in this.” Miguel motions for you to do a spin and you do it. “I see nothing wrong with a school girl look. Maybe you should save that outfit for us later. We can role play the naughty school girl and the horny professor.”

You try to keep the smirk off of your lips but fail. “Miguel I’m serious. The dinner is casual but I feel like it’s a trick somehow.”

“Dana is the type to go against dress code. How about that emerald dress? You know the one that’s thigh length? You can wear the matching heels I had bought you and have your hair down.”

You get the outfit together and you change into the outfit. You hear Miguel clapping. “Yes! Esa es mi chica! You look beautiful. I’m pretty sure Dana will be jealous of your outfit.” Your face warms up and you smile. “Thank you, I should let you dress me up more often. Being your doll is kind of fun.”

“Mm, I prefer undressing you, amor…I wish I could be there. I miss those lips.” You sit at your desk and lean forward, letting him see your chest. “Which pair?” You joke. He stares for a moment and then he look up at you. “Both, if I’m being honest. Life as Miguel and Spider-Man can be very tiresome.”

“It is, but I’m proud of you. I’ve been keeping tabs on you and I clipped some newspaper strips.”

“You sound like my biggest fan. I bet you have a scrap book started.” You raise your brows. “How did you know?” He bursts out laughing. “Because I know you amor. When I’m all done and when you’re done with your dinner, I’ll come over. Draw you a bath and you can tell me about everything.”

“That actually sounds so good…oh I have to get going. Baby, how will I know you’re around?” You ask him. “Well you two are having dinner at the Moore Lounge. I’ll be close by. Trust me you won’t miss me.” You nod as you grab your clutch and your keys. “I’m leaving now, I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“I love you too amor.” You both hang up and you tell Milo to be good as you leave the apartment.

You arrive at the Moore Lounge and as you head inside you walk over to the host. “Hello I’m here for the D’Angelo party.” The host gives you a smile. “You must be Miss Valentine. Right this way please.” They lead you further inside and you were brought to the upper level.

They open a private room and there Dana sat. She looked bored until you came in sight. She got up and walked over to you. “Tommie, it’s so good to see you again.” She kisses your cheek and you feel a shiver because her lips felt cold.

“It’s nice to see you as well.” You lie. She takes a step back and she was wearing a mustard yellow form fitting dress. How did this girl make an ugly colored dress look so good? You think to yourself. “You look so pretty, and your hair.” She reaches over to touch it but you move back.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I know how you people get when being touched.”

What the fuck is that suppose to mean?

You ignore that comments and she ushers you to the table. “Miss D’Angelo thank you for giving Mr Stark the opportunity to work-” She waves your comment off. “Please, just call me Dana. I should be thanking you. If I got an invitation from my boyfriends ex I’d be suspicious. But you don’t have to worry about me. I want us to be friends since my father and your boss will be working together.”

A waiter comes in and asks if the two of you are ready to order. “I’ll have a bottle of your finest and I’ll have a steak medium well, shrimp, chilled and a fresh side salad. No dressing please. You can order anything you’d like. Money is no option.”

Why does that remark makes you feel as if she’s trying to be funny?

“Right…I’ll have the chicken carbonara, and a side salad, with thousand island dressing please and just an apple martini.”

The waiter lets the two of you know that your meals will be ready shortly

Dana leans over touching your knee and she smiles. “Again, thank you for coming tonight. I don’t have many girlfriends. The ones that I do have seem to like me for my connections, and not for me.” You nod feeling a bit sad for her.

“Thank you for inviting me. This place is very nice. And I’ve heard the food here is great.”

“I sure hope so, my father gifted me this place last year for my birthday.” You side eyed her as she checks her makeup in the reflection of a butter knife.

Okay spoiled much.

“Tommie, how’s Miguel been these days? Does he still work like a mad man day and night?”

“Well, yes. But he makes time for me. I just love how passionate he is when it comes to his job though.” Dana rests her cheek against her knuckles and she gives a smile. “Oh yes, I remember. There was this one time where we were going out but he had to cancel at the last minute and go to the lab. Tell me has he ever shown you his office? His desk is just so spacious.”

You grind your teeth because how does she know that?

“Yes, but from what Miguel told me you two only went out on one date.” You tell her seeing her eye twitch. “Well, yes. But it was one date in the public eye. Him and I were together for a while. Didn’t he tell you?” You try not to look pissed off and your eyes land out the window where you see movement.

You then see Miguel dressed in his spider suit and Dana moves her head to see what you’re looking at but you scoot in to stop her. “Enough about Miguel, I heard that your family does a lot of charity work. That’s impressive, what charities has your family done?” You ask.

“Oh tons, mostly some for cancer, some for orphans, I think we did one for a school in Africa but I don’t remember. My parents are the ones who does that sort of thing. You know you look really pretty. Like you’re model pretty.”

“Thank you. You’re too kind.” You tell her. “So, how long have you and Miguel have been together?” She asks as the waiter comes back with your drinks. “Oh, for a while.” You answer.

“But how long? Months? Several months? Has he shown you his…other side?” You pause before answering. “What other side are you talking about?” You challenge as you glance at Miguel out the window.

“Oh nothing too crazy. Just…Miguel tends to have a temper. But then again you know what they say about Latin men. And he is Irish. He just oozes red, doesn’t he?”

“I wouldn’t know, he’s only ever been sweet to me.” You say as you sip your drink. “Well aren’t you a lucky, lucky girl.” She says as she pours herself a drink. She sips it and watches you from the corner of your eye.

“Are you mixed? You look mixed.” She asks you. “No, my parents are both black. Why?” She gives a slight shake of her head and giggles. “Mm, forgive me it’s just Miguel dating a woman such as yourself seems so, well you know.”

“No I don’t. But do explain.” You say gripping your glass, thinking about throwing it in her face. “Well-”

The waiter comes in with your food and you couldn’t be more happy. Maybe her chewing will make you not want to jump over this table and knock her teeth down her throat.

As you cut into your food you see Dana looking into her phone. “Ah, did I mention my trip from Italy? It was gorgeous. The food, the culture. The men. All delicious.” She says as she places her phone down and she grabs her fork and knife.

“That’s nice.” You say keeping your replies short. “Tommie, I get the feeling that you don’t like me much. But I’m only looking out for you. You know seeing that we both have been with the same man.” You put your utensils down.

“Dana, I don’t know what sick and twisted things you’re trying to do but cut the shit. Miguel is a sweet man. I don’t know about his past with you and I don’t care-” She tries to interrupt but you stand up. “I’m not finished. You need help, and you need to get over whatever it is. Thank you again but I think I’ll be leaving.” You turn and she laughs.

“Oh sweet little Tommie. I’m only warning you because I was where you were. Miguel isn’t who he says and you deserve to know. And if you’re not careful you’ll become like me, the girl watching Miguel play with his new shiny toy. But you go ahead and play stupid, baby girl. When he breaks your heart. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

You fight the tears as you leave the room and you continue walking to the parking lot. You know Miguel is close by but you rush into your car and you peel out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.

You don’t even know how you made it to your apartment without breaking down, but you slammed the door and kicked off your heels.

You felt hot all over as you unzip your dress and let it pool at your feet. You snatch the dress up and as you go to your bedroom you hear your window open, but you don’t bother to turn, you know who it is.

“Am-” You shoot Miguel a venomous glare and he takes a step back. “Tommie, what is wrong? What did she say to you?” You ignore Miguel for a moment and you grab a t shirt, throwing it on.

“Miguel, be honest with me. How many dates did you go on with Dana.” You turn to him as you pull your braids into a high ponytail. “Only one-”

“Then why in the fuck does she know stuff, Miguel? She knows intimate things that I know because I’ve been intimate with you!” You snap at him. He walks to you but you place a hand up and take a step back.

“Tommie, I don’t know what she told you but I’m telling the truth. I only had one date with her and I never even kissed her.” You take a deep breath through your nose.

“She made me look st-“ You clasp your hands together as if you were praying and you calm your breathing. “She made me look stupid, Miguel. She told me how you two were together for a long time, she told me about your office. About the spacious desk. She told me about your tempter that I’ve only catch glimpses of. How could she know those details? H..how.” You can taste the tears in the back of your throat.

He pulls you in and you push back. “Answer me!” You lash out. “Amor, I don’t know. But I’m telling the truth. Dana and I have never been intimate. When I left her, I knew she was heart broken but I didn’t think she would lie to you in this way.” You look up into his eyes and there. Right there you can tell he’s telling the truth.

“Miguel just go to your apartment. I want to be alone.” He shakes his head. “No, I’m not leaving you alone like this.” You try to push him back but he was solid. “Then go sleep on the couch. I want to be alone. I want to be alone.” You feel your shoulders shake as the tears you’ve been holding back finally falls.

You let out the tears and Miguel pulls you in, engulfing you in his arms like a security blanket. “I’m here. Estoy aquí mi amor. No te estoy dejando.” Miguel says as he kisses your forehead. You wrap your arms around him and you two stand in your room as you let the tears fall…

After an hour, you were sniffling and Miguel was rubbing your back as you two laid in bed together.

“It’s okay, pretty girl.” Miguel whispers as he wipes the remaining tears from your face. You turn your head so you’re facing your pillow. “I am not pretty right now. My eyes are puffy, my lips are chapped. I probably look like those bums that beg for change at the gas station.” You moan into the pillow.

“Well I’d give you every last cent.” You look over at Miguel after that comment and he leans in. “You’re stupid.” You laugh and he gives a smile.

“There’s my pretty girls smile.” You sit up and sniffle still. “I’m sorry for that. Yelling at you and just crying like a big baby.”

“No, amor. You don’t have to apologize for that. You were frustrated. I’d rather you let it out then bottle it up.”

“Dana just made me so mad. The way she talked down to me and how she talked about you. I was so close to hitting her.”

“I’m glad you didn’t resort to violence. But I think it would be best if you aren’t near her.” He says as he pulls you between his legs. “Yeah, because next time she won’t be so lucky. I have to ask, why the hell did you even date her?”

He gives a heavy sigh. “I did it out of pity and for her to leave me alone. Dana has this thing where she picks and picks until she gets what she wants. She had invited me to a charity event and when we arrived she looked bored. She only perked up when the cameras were around. But she was the most self centered, boring, egotistical woman I had ever met. She was even rude to the waiting staff and I just couldn’t take it. I told her that this wouldn’t work and I broke it off with her right then and there.”

“Hmm, she sounds fun.” You say to him. “She wasn’t my type of fun. But enough of Dana. I want to tell you about tonight, you’re going to love this.” You turn so you’re facing him and give him your ear.

“So there was this group of kids, and the smallest one was trying to catch up but I could tell he wasn’t going to make it across the street in time, so I land in front of him. Casi lo asusto. Poor kid, but he looked at me and he asked if I could help him cross the street.”

“And did you?”

“Of course. Once I got him across the street the other kids all crowded him, treating him like the coolest kid ever. I know it might not sound spectacular like saving people from a burning building, or stopping a mugger. But that smile on that little boys face was, the best reward ever.”

You push him back and get on top of him, kissing his face. “Can I just say that I am so proud of you? You do so much, and no matter the problem you find a way to solve it.” Miguel holds you by the hips and he rubs your lower back. “It’s nothing, amor.”

“Stop being so humble. You can flex a little baby. You deserve it.” You lean down and you kiss his stubbled face. “Oh, that tickles.”

“Debería afeitarme. I’m starting to look like my sperm donor.” You let out a laugh. “Well I think this stubble looks sexy. Makes you look rugged. Like those men who come home after cutting wood all day.”

“Oh, so thats what turns you on? Lumberjack men?” He flips you onto your back, causing you to scream as he tickles you. “Stop! Miguel! Stop!” He gives you mercy and he just looks at you. “What? You look like you have something to say.”

“Can I take you out tomorrow for a bite to eat?” He asks as he rubs his nose against yours. “Of course, I’m sure I can squeeze you into my busy schedule.” You wrap your legs around him and he kisses your neck, and starts kissing down to where your necklace sits. “Miguel, what are you doing?”

“I am admiring you. You are beautiful and before you wave my comment off, you deserve to flex. You deserve to do so, amor.” You roll your eyes. “I know you didn’t just quote me to me, you dork.” You tease as your hands reach under his boxers.

“Ay dios mío, princesa. What are you doing?” You look up at him fluttering your lashes at him. “I’m not doing anything bad.”

“Oh but you are being bad. You’re…mmmm, siendo muy mala. Amor, don’t just stroke me…guide it in.” He moans as he gently grips your throat. You bite your lip smiling at him as you scoot your panties off.

“Awe but Miguel, you called me a bad girl. And if I’m so bad, then why would I…” You rub him against your lips and clit and you watch his eyes flutter closed. “Tommie, por favor deslízalo, amor.” He begs which makes you giggle. “I like this side of you. You begging.” You slide the tip in and he moves his hand and he holds himself up by his elbows.

“Don’t tease me. Por favor, cariño, no te burles de mí.” You bite and pull at his bottom lip and you flick your tongue up as you see his fangs. “I’m a bad girl, remember? Why don’t you just thrust in? It won’t…take much effort.” You guide him a little deeper and in a snap his eyes went from a dreamy hazel to a blood shot red.

He thrusts in and he places a hand over your mouth. “If you were my good girl, then I’d let you moan. But you were a bad one. Now lay there and just take it. And if you let out even a whimper without my permission, I will stop. Me entiendes?” You nod, letting him know that you understand and he thrusts in as he holds your hands above your head.

“Esto es demasiado bueno. This is just too good amor. I bet you want to moan and let me know you want me to go deeper.” You nod and he gives a chuckle.

“Too bad, you’ll get it how I want it. And I want it like this.” He does a quick thrust and he slows down then slides out. “Would you look at that amor. I guess I have to slide it back in.” Without warning he thrusts it back up almost causing you to groan.

“Qué fue eso? Huh? Did a sound just come out of that pretty mouth?” You shake your head and he slides back out almost getting a whimper out of you. “Awe, princesa. I bet you want to speak. I bet you want to moan my name. Don’t you? Go ahead you have permission to answer me.”

“Yes, yes I want to moan. I want to m-” He puts a hand over your mouth. “That’s enough.” He bites your neck which catches you off guard and causes you to let out a loud moan.

Miguel draws his fangs back and he raises a brow at you. “Oh I heard that. But I’m a merciful man, am I not?” You nod and he slides out of you and he pulls you over so you’re on top. “You’ll listen and be a good girl this time, right amor?”

“I’ll be good. I promise.” You tell him as you straddle him and feel his dick resting against your lower stomach. “Buena, now show me how I like to be ridden, belleza.” He places his hands behind his head and you hike yourself up.

You position yourself above his dick and when you slide down he moans. “Oh fuck.” His dick throbs as it stretches you out and you place your hands on his chest to keep yourself balanced.

“No tengas miedo. Show me how good girls ride.” Miguel takes one’s of his hands and he cups your right breast, massaging it. “I’m no…not scared.” You lean back and you rock your hips just how he likes it.

You lean your head back as you look up at your ceiling. You moan out his name as he calls you several pet names in Spanish. Miguel then moves his hips and you lean forward quickly. “I know what those clenches mean, amor. Come for me.” And on command it seems, you grab him upwards and you come as he holds you close to him.

He grabs a hold of your ass and he comes deep inside of you. “I love you, I love you so much.” He moans as both of your bodies relaxes together. You two look into each others eyes and you kiss him. “You are mine, Miguel O’Hara. Do you understand me? Mío.” You say rubbing his stubble with your fingertips. “That is right. I am yours amor. And your Spanish is getting better I see. Let me teach you something. Say this. Eres mi corazón en forma humana.”

“Eres mi corazón en forma humana.” You say perfectly. “Good, you did good, amor.”

“Thank you, but uh what did I say?” You ask as the two of you lay back down together. “Nothing bad if that’s what you’re wondering.” You give a scoff and you look at your ceiling again. “Baby? Can I ask you a question?”

“I hope it’s not about Dana.” You make a face. “Ew, hell no.” You lean up on one of your elbows and you look at Miguel’s profile. “Are there more people out there like you? Like an elite team of Spider-people?”

He chuckles at you question. “You can say that.” You get wide eyed. “Wait for real? Can I be a spider person?” He shakes his head. “Yes for real, but no to you becoming like me. I love you the way you are, and this job is tough. Anyways, what would I do if my heart got hurt?” Miguel strokes your cheek and you hold his hand close.

“I could be your side kick. Spider-Man and his trusty partner in Justice. Spider-Byte.” Miguel gives a yawn and cuddles you. “Maybe we can talk about a different type of partnership later. But for now let’s get some sleep.”

“Alright, good night Miguel.” You kiss his cheek one more time and he inhales your scent. “Good night, amor…”

••••

“Miguel, where are you taking me?” You ask as he drives further down town. Miguel was taking you out somewhere special and you were a bit anxious on where exactly. All you see were a bunch of buildings close to each other.

“It’s a surprise. But the hint I’ll give you is, this place means a lot to me. And to someone I cherish close to my heart.” Miguel says as he parks his car on the side of the street. You look around as you get out of the car and Miguel takes your hand.

He leads you to an apartment and he knocks on the door. A small woman with dark black hair answers the door and her eyes lights up when she sees Miguel.

“Ay! Mi bebe varon!” Miguel leans down and kisses the woman on her cheek. “Hola Mama. Esta es mi novia, Tommie Valentine.” Miguel looks at you and you give a shy wave. “Hello Ms. O’Hara.”

She opens her arms to you and you step in for the hug. “You are so beautiful! Oh! Come, come inside. I have lunch ready. Espero que ustedes dos trajeron su apetito. Miguel, help me in the kitchen. Tommie, please please have a seat.”

She leads you to the living room while Miguel heads to the kitchen. When she leaves you there, you look around and you see pictures of two boys.

One of them looks like Miguel but he had two missing front teeth.

“Oh he looks so cute, the other little boy must be his brother.” You hear Miguel laughing in the kitchen and you walk in to see what’s going on. “Mom, I don’t think we can eat all of this food.”

“Nonsense, you’re skin and bones, niño. I remember when you use to eat three plates of my food. And then take from your brother.”

As you watch the two of them you smile. Seeing Miguel interact with his mother was adorable. “It smells really good in here, Ms O’Hara.” You say to Miguel’s mother.

“Tommie, you don’t need to be formal. You can call me, Conchata. Or mom if that’s easier. Anyways has my son been eating? He seems to have lost some weight.”

“Oh Miguel loves to eat.” You say giving him a side eye. He glares at you but shakes his head with a smile. “Well, mom. Tommie feeds me well. In fact this morning-” You step in. “Here let me make you a plate, you look famished.”

Conchata stops you. “You sit, both of you. I’ll make the plates. Tommie, I have pork shoulder, Spanish rice, some salad. Oh I have chicken and I think the ice tea is cold. Niño please grab it for me. Tommie, you aren’t a vegetarian are you? I should’ve asked.”

“No, I eat anything except jello.” You joke. She makes you your plate and she places it down and gets started on Miguel’s.

“Mom, ven a comer. I can make my plate.” She waves Miguel off. “Let me do this. It’s not like I get to do this often. You don’t visit me like your brother does.”

“Mom, you know I would come to visit more often but my job keeps me busy.” Miguel tells her as she places his plate down. “And Gabriel is a cop, but he comes and makes time for his mother.” Miguel gives her a look and goes to eat.

“Primero da las gracias, Miguel.” He sighs and takes my hand and his mothers hand. “Thank you lord for this food. Bless the hands who have prepared it. And lord, please let my mother understand why I don’t visit often.”

“Miguelito...” She warns. “Amen.” She kisses his temple and she gets her plate on the table. As you take the first bite you moan from the taste. “Conchata, this is delicious.” You take a few more bites and she gives you a kiss on your temple too. “Thank you, Tommie. You know Miguel has told me a lot about you. I can see why my son is so in love.”

“Mom, don’t embarrass me.” Miguel whines. “No te estoy avergonzando. You are in love, and that is beautiful. You know your brother he’s in love with his girlfriend. You would know that if you came for family dinners.”

Miguel just eats his food. “I know mom, I know.” He mutters as he chews his rice. “Tommie, make sure you save some room for dessert. I made tres leche cake. It’s Miguel’s favorite.”

“Oh, he’s made that a few times for me. Do you make it with lots of strawberries?” She nods. “I do, but lately they’ve become so expensive at the grocery store.”

“Well, my grandmother, she has a garden and she has a lot of fresh strawberries. Maybe I can ask her to give you some.”

“Ay niña, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s okay, I’m sure my grandmother would love to meet you as well.” As the conversation continues, you hear fire trucks in the distance. Conchata gets up and peeks outside of her window.

“Oh Dios mío! Mr Li’s pizza shop is on fire.” You look over at Miguel and he gives a slight nod. “Mom, I’ll be right back. I just need to use the bathroom.” Miguel gets up and you get up and walk Miguel’s mother back to the table.

“Conchata, can you tell me about Miguel when he was younger?” You ask to keep her distracted. “Miguel he was my sweet boy. Always sticking up for what’s right. He would come home with bruises but he would smile through the pain because he would make sure the bullies knew their place. But I taught him that he can use more than his muscles. He could use his brains. My sweet boy he created so many inventions in the garage I thought the fbi would come by the house at any moment.” She laughs at a memory and you touch her hand.

“Miguel is a brilliant man. I’m just lucky he’s in my life.” She touches your hand as well and touches your cheek. “My son is blessed to have you in his life. And just between us, I think you make him a better man. He was down for a while but when he did come and visit he mentioned how he finally got to talk to you. He said the pretty girl down the hall gave me a chance. Do me a big favor, niña. If he ever forgets himself, remind him who he is from time to time.” She winks at you and you smile. “I will.”

“Are you ladies talking about me?” Miguel says as he enters the kitchen. “No sé de qué estás hablando.” She says to him.

Miguel gives his mother a kiss on the cheek and he sits back down besides you. He holds your hand and that was perfect. “Mom, can we have dessert outside?” Miguel asks. “Sí. We can.”

After lunch the three of you were on the back deck and you feel Miguel hold you from behind as you look at the scenery. “Miguel not in front of your mother.”

“Amor, we aren’t doing anything my mother hasn’t done. Need I remind you she has two sons.”

“Miguel, behave yourself.” Conchata says as she places dessert on the table. “Oh no, I forgot to grab the coffee.”

“Mom, nosotros no lo necesitamos.” She gives her son a frown. “Miguel, tú y Tommie vayan a la tienda y compren el buen café.” Miguel goes to protest but stops. “Don’t take out your money, mom. I got it. Tommie let’s go.” You follow Miguel to the front and as you do you see the firefighters taping off the pizza place.

“How many people did you save?” You ask him. “Six. It was pretty easy, but I’m not bragging.” He says as he holds your hand. “Right, not bragging. So do they know how the fire started?”

You two cross the street and continue to walk. “They said it was faulty wiring. Hopefully Li can get that han-” Miguel stops and looks up. As you do the same you see something in the air flying around. “What is that?” You ask as it’s getting closer.

“Run!” Miguel yells as the green creature swoops down and throws what looks like a pumpkin.

As the pumpkin lands, you hear a high frequency sound and it explodes causing you, Miguel and the few people on the street to go flying.

You can feel your hand being ripped away from Miguel and when you land, you land hard. The wind was knocked clean out of you.

You sit up and all you see is the aftermath of the chaos. You look around for Miguel but he was nowhere in sight. “Miguel!” You call out his name and as you go to stand you wince. You definitely feel that you have a broken rib or two. You see an old woman on the ground. You go over and you help her up. As you check to see if she’s okay you hear laughing in the air behind you.

“Look at what we have here.” You turn and you see a person in what looks like a goblin costume. “Miss, go.” You usher the lady to go elsewhere and you take a step back. You then see a glowing red web and you see Miguel in his spider suit.

He swoops in and he sends a deadly punch into the gut of the goblin wearing freak. You hold your side as you start running to safety.

“My baby! I can’t find my baby! Please help me find my baby!” A woman runs and screams. You run to her to help. “Miss, what does your baby look like?”

“He’s….a small boy, he’s wearing a black panther shirt and-oh my god! Jacob!” You turn to where the woman is looking and you see a small child crying in the middle of the street. Your legs take off running before your brain can figure out what to do next. You see a large concrete slab fall but you swoop in and grab the boy just in time.

You run into a building and the boy was crying. “I want my mommy.” You hold him close. “I know, and I’ll bring you to your mommy. We just-” As you try to leave the building, you see another pumpkin fall and you run back inside. It explodes causing the building to crumble.

You go towards the back of the building and you cover the boys nose because the smoke just smells terrible.

You make it up the stairs of the building and you see a balcony. You wave down below for anyone to hear and you hear Jacob crying harder for his mom.

You set him down and you cough. “Hey, hey you’re Jacob right?” He nods and you hold his hands. “Jacob, I see you like super heroes, well I have a super hero friend. His name is Spider-Man.”

You feel wind past you and there was Spider-man. Jacob hides behind your leg and you kneel down. “This is my friend Spider-man. I know he can look big and scary, but he is going to bring you back to your mom. Is that okay?” Jacob nods and you pick him up and hand him to Spider-Man.

“Hold onto me miss.” You wrap your arms and legs around him as he hold Jacob in his other arm. As he swings through the buildings, you point to Jacob’s mother and he lands. He hands Jacob to him mother and she kisses his face, while telling Spider-Man thank you.

You unwrap yourself from him and you get a strange sensation in the back of your throat.

You bend over and cough out blood. As you wipe your lip you feel your legs give out. He catches you and you notice it’s harder for you to breathe.

“Amor, breathe. I need you to breathe.” He says in a panic as he holds you upright. You try to make your lungs work but they don’t listen. Instead you cough up more blood and you hear sirens in the distance.

“Tommie! Necesito que respires! Come on, baby breathe.” He shakes you a bit and you get tunnel vision as your throat fills with blood. “She needs help!” You hear Miguel scream as you lose consciousness…

Previously, Next

[siren-serenity]

hi siren!! can i request a reader that spoils deuce whenever he enters the cafe? like as soon as he comes yuu is giving him heavily discounted food or "complementary snacks"!! just a reader whos incredibly sweet and nice but just to deuce?

↳ *TITLE: PERSONAL BIAS FOR YOU!* ༉‧₊˚✧

↳ *READER X DEUCE SPACE!* ༉‧₊˚✧

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ omg this is so cute alkjlkjdsjldfsa. i just love the idea of the first year gang staring/gasping at deuce as the reader gives him so much obvious bias LMAO

↳ *𝘛𝘈𝘎𝘚!* ༉‧₊˚✧

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Taglist: @krenenbaker, @moonlitnyx, @azulashengrottospiano. @eynnwwyjth, @parad-ice-lostandfound, @officialdaydreamer00, @leonistic, @plutosring, @starsilluminateourgalaxy, @aceofsweets, @rav--en, @dowdos, @deathkat657, @escha-evenstar, @toffeeeez, @dearest-siblingtwst, @biromanticboba, @savanaclaw1996, @candlewitch-cryptic, @lowenergyallday

please reblog or dm if you wish to be tagged!!

"Come on, Deuce!" Ace whined, dragging his best friend to Cafe Amor. Deuce Spade rolled his eyes but trudged behind him for the nth time. Their other friends, including Jack, Ortho, Epel, and a slightly reluctant Sebek, followed behind.

Deuce let a small swear tear from his throat as he stumbled. "Shit!"

"No swearing!" Ortho's cute voice piped up. Epel snickered.

"Oh my Sevens- can you hurry up, Juice?" Ace laughed as Deuce flipped him a sneaky middle finger. "I wanna get free stuff from Cafe Amor! Or should I say...from Y/N?"

Deuce's cheeks flushed bright red as he attempted to form coherent sentences but failed. The 'First Year Gang' watched with amusement as splutters and half-formed excuses made their way out of his mouth only for him to choke on his words. The paleness of his skin made his blush stand out more obviously.

"W-What? Come on Ace, what are you talking about now?" Deuce scoffed but the stutter in his sentence gave way to his flustered feelings immediately.

Ortho spoke up and his blunt way of speaking was enough to rouse laughter.

"You have a blush! According to science, this indicates the person has feelings for the mentioned person! You have a crush on Y/N, Deuce."

The bell chimed over their heads as they walked into Cafe Amor. Deuce's loud stutters drew a couple of students' attention.

"Ortho, can you please say that softer so Y/N can't hear?!" He whisper-shouted, gesturing wildly. Ace slung an arm over his shoulder, practically cackling.

"Aww is Juicy-Deucey getting shy?" He teased, narrowly dodging a punch to his face. "Sevens- not the face!"

"Shut up!"

"Erm- hi?" You spoke, waving your hand awkwardly. Deuce and Ace froze comically; the spade-eyed boy had Ace's shirt bundled up in his fist while Ace's arm was frozen over Deuce's head. "Are you all ready to order?"

"I'll have the apple pie," Epel piped up. "Sebek and Jack wanna try the mango smoothie and Ortho..."

He trailed off, staring at Ortho with a questioning look in his eyes. "Uhh, Ortho, how do you eat?"

The robot boy shrugged. "I don't eat, I analyze the food to understand it's flavor! I'll just see what everyone eats."

Epel nodded. Deuce and Ace let go of one another, clearing their throats, although a bright blush remained on Deuce's face. Sevens- how could he let himself be all wild-like and feral in front of Y/N? Who knows what they might think of him after this...

"I'll have a cherry tart and Deuce wants the egg tart," Ace spoke before leaning in with a glint in his eyes. "But....can the tarts be free? You know, asking from one friend to another."

You laughed as your fingers typed in their orders. "Can't do that, and you know it, Ace."

"Come on! We all know that you always give Deuce an extra tart or two, even though he didn't order it!" Ace whined. "Please, Y/N? We're your best friends, right?"

Deuce smacked Ace's head. "No means no, Ace! Good Sevens..."

Melody took over the counter as Y/N left to go get ready their food. She chuckled at the sight of them, red and blue eyes twinkling.

"Flustering Deuce again?" She shook her head in mock disapproval although anybody could see the glee in her eyes. "For shame guys, for shame."

"And done!" Your cheery voice piped up as you set down their take-away bag. The scent was delicious and the first years were practically drooling. "Thank you for choosing to eat at Cafe Amor!"

"Thanks, Y/N," Deuce gave you a smile as he took the heavy bag from you. Your fingers brushed against each other and he could feel a spark down his spine from just milliseconds of contact. From the blush on your face, it seems that you felt it too. "F-For the food!"

You covered your face with one hand before using the other to shoo them away. "B-Bye guys! See you in class!"

Before Deuce could make a further fool of himself, Jack took pity and dragged him out of Cafe Amor.

"Goodbye Y/N!"

"See you in History, Y/N!"

"GOODBYE HUMAN! THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD!!"

"Bye!"

"Damn Deuce!" Ace threw an arm over Deuce's shoulders, poking his blush with a Cheshire grin on his face. "You're down bad for them!"

Ortho's voice made his blush grow even darker.

"I sense there's more than one egg tart in the bag! It seems that Y/N has given us another free treat!"

Ace and Epel exchanged a grin. "Yeah I wonder why..."

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! ACE, YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO RUN!"

"SHIT!"

[pastafossa]

PASTA I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

*heavy breathing*

DO YOU THINK MATT LIKES CITRUS FRUITS?! LIKE MANGOES AND ORANGES?

Because he can sense when a fruit is ripe so would that affect whether or not he likes them because he always gets perfectly sweet mangoes and oranges? And what do you think his favorite fruit would be considering his taste buds

YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT SO IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, I HAVE MADE A VERY SCIENTIFIC CHART TO DEMONSTRATE.

As you can see by the VERY official chart I have made, I agree with your hypothesis (it's science, peer review, something something citrus molecules). I believe he can and WOULD be able to enjoy citrus fruits if they're JUST ripe, though for a very short amount of time, and he would absolutely have to use his heightened senses to find the Perfect One, likely one he'd eat the same day because if he goes even a hair too long or grabs one too soon, it is VERY easy to drop down into Stinky Cat Face (TM) range. But when he gets it right? Oooooh, when it's just right, perfectly sweet, hovering exactly center between sour and overripe, he could moan in delight. I have a feeling it would be something akin to sensory overload but in a pleasant way - citrus is consuming, and biting into a ripe one brings him a brief sting from the acid (and a little shiver cause he kinda likes that sting, subconsciously he thinks he deserves it, dumbass probably forces himself to eat an unripe fruit on a bad day, bad bad Matthew, suffersuffersuffer with the lemons matthew) before he's swamped with taste. The only reason the sour and sweet don't torment him is that they are in PERFECT balance, in such high amounts that his heightened senses can't full comprehend them and so just signal DELICIOUS DELICIOUS DELICIOUS all at once.

Favorite fruit overall I headcanon as strawberries BUT, if we're talking citrus I could see him leaning towards either clementines - lower acidity, a little sweeter, and juicy af, cause no one can tell me this man doesn't like to slurp and suck and fully engage his senses via tongue diving into that fruit when he's not being watched (get your minds out of the gutter i see you all out there) or possibly a blood orange considering how complex the flavors of those are - subtly sweet, but also kinda tangy like raspberries and cherries.

HE CAN LOVE CITRUS FRUIT.

But only for the single day it's perfectly ripe.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[ignitingwriting]

Igniting Writing ‘Mealtime’ Contest 2024, Submission by Sauhitya

The Tale of Poseidon’s Curse

Long ago there lived two siblings, Aspen and Frost. Aspen, the older sister, was a clever girl with a quick wit, always armed with a joke to keep things lively. Frost, her younger counterpart, had a knack for words and sparkling eyes that hinted at her imagination at work.

Together, they were an unstoppable duo. The only thing that would tear them apart was their disagreement over each other’s tastes. But they were both very friendly girls who would always find a shared love and spend quality time together, which they called ‘a Scott Sister Situation’.

One summer day, the terrific twosome took a stroll to the park for a picnic.

“Are we ever going to eat?!” shouted Frost, for about the hundredth time. “I hope Mum packed something that actually tastes nice!”

“She did; something delicious, very delicious!” Aspen replied, with a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.

The two siblings took a seat in a nice, sunny spot and Frost opened the basket, looked up at her sister and let out a sigh.

“I should have known mum packed something you like,” Frost complained, with a frown growing on her face, “and just ‘cos you’re a year older than me. It’s just not fair!”

“Firstly, I am a year and A DAY older than you, plus it isn’t that – I just woke up earlier than you and asked Mum to make us tomato pasta!” Aspen retorted, her hand diving into the basket. “But then it felt selfish so I asked for mango lassi, an Indian beverage made of yoghurt and juicy sweet mangoes, too!”

“You did that ‘cos you felt bad for me?”

“Well, yes. And have you tasted mum’s mango lassi? It’s delicious!” Aspen said with a wink, handing Frost a serving in her special straw cup. “I know it is your favourite, ScottBot!”

“Thanks Aspen! You are the best big sister anyone could ever wish for!” Frost smiled.

The two sisters continued to converse over their shared love of mango lassi until they had finished the contents of the jug. After completing their lunch, the siblings headed for the play area, Frost running for the zip line, Aspen close to follow. Frost pushed herself off the raised platform but Aspen could not see her bounce back at the other end, where could she have gone?

“Frost! Frost!” she screamed in horror, concerned she had just lost her sister!

She too rode the zip-wire across to where she had last seen her sister, but tumbled into her fate just like Frost.

“Aspen help! Aspen! Aspen! Aspe– argh!” Frost screamed as her sister fell on top of her.

The pair did not realise that they were no longer in the park until they awoke from their concussion. Instead, they were surrounded by some kind of blue smoke.

“Aspen, I’m scared. I am seeing thing – a cyclops and a really scary looking Poseidon-type guy,” Frost said, staring into the coloured mist.

“There is no need to get scared; all you need to do is get that crazy imagination of yours under control.” Aspen comforted her little sister, suddenly noticing it wasn’t Frost’s imagination. “I am sorry I ever doubted you!”

“Now can I be scared!” Frost replied, shivering as she was hit by tiny water droplets.

“No, still there is nothing to be scared of – just think of it as one of those 4K experiences,” Aspen started dramatically, “‘Poseidon and the lost cyclops!’ Only in Cinemas this August.”

“Once upon a time, before humans existed,” sounded a mysterious voice, “a group of young merfolk found themselves playing with a beach ball awfully close to King Poseidon’s Palace and it accidentally fell over the fortified wall and landed on…”

“What do you think happens next?” Aspen questioned, turning her gaze to her sister.

“I think that the ball will come alive and declare war with the king’s heir!” Frost replied, her eyes twinkling in the darkness.

Suddenly, the brave pair were swirled into a sparkling whirlpool. They could see strange, blurry figures appear before them. Creatures that looked like they came out of Frost’s stories. Then they could hear mysterious songs, almost putting them to sleep.

A rather small seahorse made his way to the royal mermaid’s abode. “Miss, two human children have washed up on the edge of the kingdom!” he spluttered, out of breath.

“Thank you for informing me – bring them here immediately Cadet Bubble,” a young voice commanded.

The training officer swam back, worrying if he would reach the border in time. He carefully placed the two drowsy youngsters into a carriage and pulled it back to his mistress.

“Good job, Cadet Bubble. I am sorry for working you so hard; you may rest now,” the mermaid said, her voice now softer.

Later, the two siblings awoke sitting at a highly decorated dining table. It had seashells and the occasional pearl around the border, intricately carved fish and pieces of seaweed dangling every here and there.

“Hello Frost, Aspen, my name is Coral and I need your help. I know you have come a long way, so before you assist us here in our secret underwater kingdom, please help yourself to our seaweed buffet while we perform to you ‘The Tale of Poseidon’s Curse’,” spoke a familiar voice.

The Scott Sisters were not fans of seaweed, but their heads were filled with so many questions that they didn’t pay much attention to what they were eating. Why can’t anyone else help them? Do our parents know that we are here? Were you the narrator in the snippet of the film we saw? How do we know that you are on our side?

Before the roleplay began, the siblings helped themselves to some salad. To their amazement, it tasted brilliant; it was creamy and tasted just like spinach. They served themselves another helping, but then a thought popped into Aspen’s mind – were they poisoning her and her sister? She calmed at the sight of everyone enjoying the hearty meal.

“Today our cast is, drumroll please, Cadet Bubble as King Poseidon, my younger brother Triton as the cyclops and Ocean an Aqua as the young merfolk!” Coral began. “Forgive our slow speed, but our cast have not eaten yet, so will be taking short breaks in between! Now, let us continue from where we left off; the youngster’s ball fell over the wall and landed on King Poseidon’s head.”

There was a short pause as the performers acted it out and the audience let out a gasp.

“The ball hit his head at such an angle that a wig that he was wearing was pushed off and fell to the floor! The youngsters followed the wall around to retrieve their lost item, but when they saw a bald Poseidon they couldn’t help but laugh!”

The siblings were now trying to stop themselves from laughing. No wonder the merfolk couldn’t control the laughter.

“I curse you that in 100 years a giant cyclops will take over this kingdom!” the cadet started.

“You mean this isn’t your whole kingdom?” Aspen asked after spooning some soup into her mouth.

“Nope, it is way bigger!” Triton said out of role.

“The only way for this curse to be undone is for two human siblings, who were born on two consecutive winter solstices, to take the Sceptre of the Sea and read the incantation inscribed on the staff together. Then your kind shall return to living in prosperity!” Cadet Bubble finished.

“I am an evil cyclops! I have come to take over your kingdom!” Triton shouted, jumping onto the table and knocking everything over.

“Honestly, I don’t know why we gave him the part!” Coral said in frustration.

“So, you need us to defeat the cyclops?” Frost questioned, pointing at her sister. “Because we were born on two consecutive Winter solstices!”

“But how are we to defeat him when we are just kids?” Aspen asked. “Can someone else help us?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you knew martial arts, but the only help that I can send is Nemo, my friend fish!” Coral said, with a fish the size of her palm appearing next to her.

“Good luck!” Cadet Bubble wished. “You can do it.”

With a click of Coral’s fingers, they were transported to what looked like a history museum. The site around it was in ruins.

“I guess we should go in – wait, no, we should plan first. How can we defeat a giant evil cyclops?” Aspen asked, fear growing in her eyes.

“The cyclops has limited vision due to his single eye and even that was worse than the eye of a rhino!” Nemo interrupted, feeling it was important, “So he had to get an Enhanced Spectrum Implant from the cheapest opticians around!”

“So, if one of us distracts the cyclops, the other can sneak behind him and steal the Sceptre of the Sea. But we need a proper distraction for that to work!” Aspen replied, starting to lose belief.

“You can tell some of your hilarious jokes. He will surely crack up and ask for another one, while I sneak behind him, find where he has hidden the pole and meet you outside! Perfect, let’s do it!” Frost explained, it was all clear to her now.

Aspen entered the building through the large double-doors, gulped and shouted, “Hello Mr Cyclops, I have a joke for you. Why did the diver cross the ocean?”

“I don’t know why – tell me?” a deep voice spoke.

“To get to the other tide!”

“Another one!”

“What did the ocean say to the shore?” Aspen signalled at Frost. “Nothing, it just waved!”

This time, as the gigantic creature chortled, the siblings became aware of the location of the staff, dangling on a rusted metal wire above a rock-climbing wall. Frost was afraid of heights, but she knew she had to climb this wall to save the underwater realm. She took a deep breath and stretched for a hold above her head. Frost was nearly at the top, but then she looked down, her leg slipped and she was now hanging on by her left hand.

“What can you hold in your left hand but can’t in your right?” Aspen asked, guiding her sister.

“Your right hand,” Frost whispered, swinging her hand up just grasping the hold.

Frost had done it – she bravely jumped up to the sceptre, inspecting how to disconnect the cord, but it began to pull her down like a harness. She was 10 metres in the air when the rust got in the way of the mechanism. The wire was slipping off the rod.

“Aspen!” Frost screamed.

Aspen averted her gaze from the cyclops to her sister and ran towards her. Tick! Tick! Tick! It was only a matter of seconds before Frost would have fallen to the floor, but Aspen had caught her!

Aspen took Frost outside in her arms. Together they chanted:

“I was born on a Winter Solstice and she was born on the next,

We read these words from our heart; the words mean more than the text,

She was born on a Winter Solstice and I was born on the next,

We read these words from our heart; the words mean more than the text!”

Instantly the cyclops disappeared and the kingdom returned to prosperity. Coral brought them back to the palace.

“I don’t know how we could ever thank you!” Coral explained. “I know we’ve asked a lot already, but make sure you don’t tell anyone about this kingdom! Don’t worry, the tide is fast here so no-one will know you are gone. Bye!”

Another portal appeared and the two Scotts jumped into it. They arrived at their doorstep. Frost looked surprised, as she had the basket in her hand.

Their father opened the door and asked, “How was your picnic? Anything interesting?”

“Nope, nothing out of the ordinary,” Frost replied, giggling.

[nickgerlich]

What's On Your Burger?

It’s summer, and it is grilling season. We pile up all the burgers on a huge tray, and carry them outside where we cook them over an open flame. Whether we eat outdoors or back in the house is not important. What’s important, though, is the array of condiments and garnishes we have on hand to fully dress those burgers. We make them uniquely ours.

Ketchup. Mustard. Mayo. Pickles. Onions. Lettuce. Tomato. Cheese. You can stack that burger pretty high if you put all of them between your buns.

But what if we could combine some of those condiments? Wouldn’t that be more convenient? You could reduce the number of plastic containers you have to store in the fridge or carry outside. It’s not like we’re already doing that when we combine them on the burger, right? It’s all going to the same place.

Which is probably the kind of thinking going on at Heinz lately, because now we have their new Pickle Ketchup. It may not be quite as magical as when peanut butter meets chocolate, but their ad campaign is trying to make us feel as if it were. “You Can Already Taste It” is evocative, to say the least, and since we already know the specific tastes of sweet tomato ketchup and puckerful pickles, we can do the math inside our heads.

Heinz is taking it to the streets as well, inviting people to sample the blend before they see it in stores. That’s always a good idea with new food products, even if it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure it out in advance.

I had to chuckle a bit when I saw this, though, because earlier this year I had stumbled upon a Pickle Mustard at Trader Joe’s, which was as delightful as I expected. I couldn’t find it on subsequent visits, though, which means they may have already killed it. Perhaps I should have bought a few jars.

It must be human nature to want to mix taste sensations, because we see it everywhere, starting with soft drinks and all the countless varietals of colas with different flavorings. Many of these product introductions are short-term gimmicks intended to juice sales for a bit, while some of them become shelf mainstays in their own right. It’s the difference between a novelty and a core product.

Those flavor mashups are also a big deal in beer. The flavor of the month this summer is peach. Look for the newest Voodoo Ranger IPA variant that is infused with it, not much different from all the other juicy IPAs, from mango to pineapple, grapefruit, and others I have seen on shelves and in breweries.

It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall in the Heinz test kitchen. I’m sure it’s not as easy as just putting ketchup and pickles in the same jar, because there are interactions that could occur during storage that might not occur in the few minutes between building that burger and devouring it.

I am reminded of a scene in Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 2 named “Madrigal.” In that episode we see food scientists discussing new condiment possibilities, one of which was Franch, a combination of French Dressing and Ranch Dressing. You can do this at home, as I am certain many Breaking Bad fans did. Spoiler Alert: It’s pretty good.

But there are questions, of course, when it comes to novel line extensions like this. Might this new product siphon off sales of both Heinz Ketchup and pickles? You no longer need to buy two items. This is more than just 1-for-1 cannibalization. Now it’s 1-for-2. Furthermore, will this prove to be only a one-time novelty, or will it have staying power?

It is no mistake that Americans love their ketchup. We put it on everything. In fact, we love the color red on our food, whether it is ketchup, barbecue sauce, or sweet-and-sour sauce at Asian restaurants. Oh, and here’s a pro tip if you are traveling to Asia: Don’t ask for sweet-and-sour sauce, because you won’t find it. The food is plenty good without it.

Another distinction is that American food tends to be pretty bland, including condiments. While some inroads have been made by various makers of Sriracha, as well as other Asian flavors, Cajun, and the like, we tend to play it safe as a culture. The new pickle ketchup fits right in.

The marketer in me is amused, because I’ve seen tactics like this play out for many years. The shopper in me, though, will probably buy a jar, if only to give it a test drive. It does sound good, and I bet you’re imagining it on your tongue as well right now. I’ll see you at the store.

Dr “Take My Money, Please” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[foxxxyana]

Nsfw ask # 3? :3c this one made me think about the stupid spicy chips not nsfw eating food lol

#3 Hottest food someone can eat?

Lol yeah it’s a slightly confusing wording for that question 😵‍💫

I have mixed feelings about this one. I think it comes down to a couple options,

1. Really spicy foods, like a hot ramen or spicy wings or something. To me, my thinking is if it’s too hot for them people usually react adorably to being spiced out but if they can handle the heat no problem it’s a woah mama from me 😳

2. Cooking for yourself like at a hot pot place or Korean barbecue restaurant, watching someone cook in front of you and seeing them gobble everything down one by one is just really cute and the atmosphere just makes it 10x better. Bonus eating with your hands or eating with injera or another type of bread is really hot to me personally it’s just so intimate feeling and ya know feeding each other with your fingers is just 🤌✨

3. Final sexy food opinion is really anything with juice, like a nice ripe mango or even like a burger or something. The juice be making me juicy if ya know what I mean awooga 😍🤯

[s1xeared]

And you always had a faint smell of lavender

Fruits make good conversation starters.

--

Inspired a bit by the poem "When Love Arrives" By Phil Kaye. AO3 Post

Lavender: a flower that means 'Love at first sight.'

Macaque is "Love", "I" is Sun Wukong. Writing is under the Cut, Enjoy.

When I found Love, he wasn’t what I expected. His eyes always casted a dim and sad gold, and he sat high in a cherry tree, plucking the crimson fruit. Love barely talked, at first, but when I would say hello Love’s hairs stood on end and he stopped whatever he was doing. It was the same song and dance, I would ask Love a question and he would answer and disappear, but I knew Love would be back the next day. “What on earth are you doing all by yourself? This Cherry Tree is on its last leg and the berries near my home are a lot more juicy. So why do you remain here when there are better options?” I remember Love’s voice, it tasted Tart like autumn’s bulging cranberries, and was velvet and silky as was the rapidly approaching evening. Love’s tail would swing back and forth, as if he were pondering the question, and he would give me an equal answer. “Do I not have a simple right given by the gods to do as I please? I have my own choice, but my question is, why do you approach me?” My tail swung lowly to the ground as I stared at love in his eyes, and I left on that note. The next day I returned with a Mango, it looked like a colorful gem and was ripe for eating. I sliced a piece off and began to speak: “Cherry Boy, I want to show you there’s more to life than just this tree, so won’t you come down and eat with me? It’d be a terrible shame to eat this by myself, I am no glutton.” Love picked at the fleas in his fur, and grunted in response. He slinked down the tree, his fur glimmered in the early morning’s light and that’s when I first smelled him. He smelled like lavender, ever so gentle and sleep inducing, but at the same time smelled like earth, like he tumbled in loam dirt. He bent his head to the slice of mango, and sniffed it. He then gazed at me with his metallic stare.

“Tell me, why is it that you came back? It’d be most logical to leave me to my own deeds. So why do you come back with silly gifts?” I stared back at him, my eyes warm and giving. “I wanted to show you the fruits of this island. That is all I wish to do. I’ll be on my way.” Love flared his nose up, and sighed in defeat. He dug his fangs into the fruit and made his way back up the tree. “Be on your way, Mango Monkey. This should be the last I see of your ginger fur.” And with that, I left once more. I found myself awake at night, I couldn’t sleep. I made my way out of my cave, careful to let my children sleep, and decided to take a small walk. The cool earth touched my skin, and the moon, only half full, beamed down on me as if it were mocking me. As if she were mocking my attempts, and I furiously turned and made my way back to his tree.

Love snored, back against the tree as if to protect himself. And although I attempted, it was feeble in the end. I heard Love’s groggy voice, but although not as silky, it tasted like the crisp crunch of a freshly picked plum. “Foolish boy, what have you come to bother me with now?” Startled, I fell back on my ass, and sneezed. This caused a soft chuckle out of him. “Why come at night boy? What devious intent do you have now?” My face flushed and I stared at him, his eyes gleaming at me with a sliver of gold. It was like he was one with the night, and he slinked around me like a shadow.

I held my breath.

“I’ve come here with no particular purpose, I just couldn't sleep. You needn't notice my presence. I’m only passing by.”

His ebony tail grazed my ginger fur, and he stared me in my eyes.

“Then, if you're telling the truth, come join me in my tree. I promise it will only be a moment.”

He requested this in a hushed whisper, and skittered his way up the cherry tree. I, curiously, followed suit.

We sat on one of the lengthier branches, and stared at the glimmering stars.

“Tonight's moon,” He spoke. “It’s awfully serene. Like a gentle bowl of water is spilling out of it.”

Love gazed at the moon with a certain softness I've never seen from him. I replied,

“Tonight’s moon,” I started, “Feels as if it's sneering at me. Like it knows something I don't.”

His gentle gaze turned towards me,

“Ah, It's difficult for you to experience the stillness of life isnt it? You're just as bold and colorful as the mango you offered me.”

This caused a slight scarlet to rise in my cheeks, I huffed.

“Flirting will get you nowhere. I don't even know your name.”

Love turned his gaze back to the moon and sighed.

“Is it really that important? You act like we’ll see eachother again. Or is that your intention?”

He chuckled, I simply closed my eyes.

When I reopened them, I saw two crudely sliced mangos, a freshly picked cherry, and his sharp nails dripping in juice. Love offered me the slice, and I picked a cherry from its stick. “I didn’t expect you to keep it, you don’t seem like one to like tart flavors.” He simply glanced at me, “You can’t predict what a person is like. If you could, it wouldn’t be much fun to get to know someone.” I looked down at my hands, the mango juice drying up. I stuffed both the slice and the berry in my mouth, and it tasted like…like when we first met. Like the slice and the berry danced around in my mouth, so hesitant at first, but inseparable when together. The Sweet compliments the Sour, and It makes my nose scrunch in pleasure. He looked back over at me, with a slight smirk on his face. “You know, as much as it’s comfortable to just stick to what you know, it’s always helpful to try new flavors.” “And isn’t that hypocritical coming from you? You didn’t dare follow me back to my home. Maybe you should try new flavors.” His posture straightened at this and his eyes darted. Love pouted, and his ears stood up in embarrassment. “Well. I guess we both have a lot to learn. No matter how wise we feel.” I smirked and licked the tropic syrup off my fingers, and gazed at the moon. “I guess I’m starting to see a bit of what you see. It does look awfully like a bowl of fresh water.” He grinned and leaned against the bark of the tree. “Y’know, I really don’t understand why you kept coming back here, are you stupid?” Annoyed, I glared at him, but only for a second. “No. I’m not stupid. Didn’t you say that you had your own choice? I have mine as well.” I scolded him. “But, if you want an honest answer, it’s because you smelled like lavender.” “Lavender? But I don’t collect flowers.” “Then it must be something with my nose. But that’s what you smell like.”

[separatist-apologist]

Random headcannon but I imagine Summer court has THE BEST the most banging fruit. Like juicy and sweet and also the most exotic fruits as well because it's always summer and they have the best environment for fruit to thrive. On Elain's first visit, she is absolutely amazed at all the fruits. She genuinely loves talking to the vendors and trying their samples(which is cannon from her in Valeris but I forgot which book) and asking them about their specific methods of planting said fruits and she's just so happy in her own little world. The citizens and vendors love her and when she has to leave she gets all sad so Tarquin is flattered she loves his court so much he gifts her with this huge ass mango or something idk why but mango was the best fruit I could think of. Now whenever she visits Summer she's gifted with a huge mango when she leaves.

I personally love the thought of Tarquin being enamored with Elain (as he should!!) and his court being an inviting place for her given it's warmth and beauty. And she's so nice and so ON BOARD with his plans to equality that she wants to help. Elain doesn't put on airs, she doesn't think she's better than lesser fae. She knows what it's like, after all, to be shunned and treated badly.

So Elain is always OUT, meeting people and talking and learning and being curious and asking questions, especially about growing. How do they manage such big pineapples? I like to think summer is growing things like vanilla and coffee too, and Elain is DELIGHTED be be gifted vanilla beans.

Tarquin, giving her mangos because she can't get them in NC and his court residents teaching her how to best eat them to lure her back is actually a very fun headcanon. Cassian? Banished. Feyre and Rhys- better write 2 years in advance and have to be shadowed by a guard.

But Elain? Allowed to build a bungalow on the beach. Open door policy. Come without asking, she has her own room in Adriatas palace

Spring Court Elain this, Spring Court Elain that, when will we admit Summer Court Elain is the next tier up (and Day Court Elain is her final, most evolved form???)

[kittehkwrites]

Self-care day

Warnings: fluff

Having a selfcare day was a necessity

It was the time in which you took for yourself to destress. You were able to just laze around, mostly carrying out your washday routine, and then eat whatever whilst watching movies or listening music.

Just a day full of You.

A few days ago, however, your friend, Yahya, had messaged you to let you know he was going to be in town for the weekend and wanted to spend some time with you since you both were on busy schedules.

You had told him to come over and have a self care day and take some of the pressure off of himself to indulge in himself.

you told him to come over once you had finished your detangling (this would be after having washed, conditioned, and treating, your hair.)

When he arrived, you had just finished sectioning and plaiting your hair to keep it from knotting overnight and layed out the snacks in the living room. 

You were getting ready to get the necessities for the face masks you wanted to review when you heard the knocking at your front door and then receiving a notification from Yahya that he was outside and needed to use the bathroom.

“Aye! I know you know its me!” He’d yell out through the barrier of the door and your house.

You’d quickly open the door, in hopes you’d reach in time so he wouldn’t pee on himself.

You’d fling open the door and before you can get out a hello, he'd be running in, shouting out ‘gotta go gotta go gotta go’ down the hallway leading to the guest room. You couldn't do much but laugh at the way he was acting.

You just closed the door, thankful your next door neighbours were out of town or else you'd be hearing a lot about your friends antics the following day.

Once he had finished in the bathroom (obviously making sure his hands were clean and he didn’t leave the seat up or forget to flush) he’d make his way back out to the front of the house and see you sat on the couch with a face mask on, eating a bowl of mixed berries and watching Futurama on your wide screen tv.

“Hello to you too sir” You’d say smartly, he would just turn and respond with a ‘Hi’ and say thanks for getting the door quick.

“No problem.”You would bite into a juicy strawberry and chew on it for a bit as you were so absorbed in the tv until he snapped his fingers in front of you to break you out of your trance. “We wouldn’t want you to walk around like that in these peoples neighbourhood” You ate another berry before placing the bowl down and asking if he wanted anything, pointing to the variety of junk and healthy food you had placed out on the coffee table centred in the living room.

He would take some of your berries, popping them into his mouth and laughing at the annoyed look you have at him refusing to use the extra bowl you had out incase he wanted some.

He knew it would annoy you and you knew he did it on purpose so you just shook your head and proceeded to pick up your bottle of water and drink some of its contents. 

---

“So what’s on your face?” He’d motion to the mask you had painted on yourself.

“This, my barbaric friend, is a face mask.” You’d get up to stretch before picking up the diy mixture you wanted to try out and pushed it towards your friend who was no stranger and had gotten up to change into his extra shorts and old hoodie he left behind.

“I know you no-” you’d cut him off before he could finish asking the rhetorical “anyways this mask is supposed to help open your pores and detox your skin.” You’d continue to speak while reaching for the clean brush that you’d use as an applicator for your friends face.

He’d look down questionably at the mix before looking back up at you, who was now standing in front of him and smiling, waiting for him to give in so you could apply the mask to his face.

He’d sigh before handing over the product.

You’d do a little happy dance at the fact he didn’t put up much of fight, but you chalked it out to be due to the fact that it was a self care day and he wasn’t meant to be worried about anything other than taking care of himself.

He’d sit up straight and come closer to the edge of the couch to allow you to place the mask on his face and to be safe in case the mixture fell onto the couch before it reached his face. He noticed the towel you had placed over the space between the central carpet and the couch (even though there was a gap where you could see the floor under the massive rug, he knew you were just being extra cautious to reduce clean up)

As he sat and let you apply the mask, he did start to relax and not long after you were finished and he could lay back in the couch, finally being able to spread himself out again to get comfortable for the remainder of the day with his close friend.

The two of you sat and watched a few more episodes before going to wash off the face masks.

As you were patting off your face, you caught Yahya staring at himself in the bathroom mirror and couldn’t help but ask “what did you think?”

He looked at his skin a little more.

“Yay or nay, Yahya?” He still didn’t say a thing to you. “You actors and wanting to create suspense” you’d let out as you rolled your eyes at his dramatic pausing and serious face he had put on.

Once you had finished drying your face, you were met with your friends kind smile and a “I like it.”

You wanted to slap him for the theatrics.

Had you thinking he wasn’t feeling it.

“Well mr. Emmy-Award winner” you start off as you both made your way out of the bathroom, disposing of the face towels you had placed out for you both into the clothes basket, “glad you liked it. That means you can buy me some masks when you travel to places like South Korea or Singapore.”

Yahya would let out a little chuckle.

He knew there was something up with you wanting to share your skin care and he now got his answer.

“Oh! So that’s why you wanted me to come over? To try on some face mask so you could persuade me to buy more when I’m away to bring for your bougie behind?” You could hear the teasing in his tone but continued to play along.

“I mean...” you’d turn around and shrug your shoulders to the man walking behind you before you both got situated on the couch again.

He’d look over, amused at your behaviour before chuckling and nodding his head.

“But nah.” You’d let out after a brief stare off which was caused by your straight face to his accusations. “I genuinely wanted us to hang out” you’d say as you picked up a bag of dried mango.

“I mean how many times do we get to see eachother or happen to be in the same city at the same time for longer than 4 days?” You’d say as you opened up the pack, in which he helped himself to a good sized palm of its contents.

“You right” 

“I know. Now stop eating my snacks when there’s enough for the both us”

You both would turn from watching the tv to talking about random topics or anything going on in your lives that the other missed and it felt like you guys hadn’t been separated for so long.

You guys shared some laughs, got up to make some food before going back to the couch to be lazy.

You’d turned off the animated shows and switched to playing music once you both cracked open a bottle of wine to compliment the food you'd made.

Both buzzed and full, you guys cleaned up any mess made and just let the calm energy in the room take over. You both caught the itis and didn’t try to fit it.

---

By time you had woken up, your head was on yahya’s shoulder and he was sitting comfortable with the tv on low and munching on some gummies.

He’d ask how you slept and you'd say great and he’d say the same before you guys continued watching whatever he had put on while you were still sleeping.

It wouldn’t be until the late hours of the night that he’d decide to head back to his hotel room.

You’d try to get him to spend the night but he said he wasn’t going to be able to leave if he didn’t leave now.

You stopped fighting him and walked him to the door, sending him off with a couple more of the candy packets amongst other junk food (which he technically stole but you weren’t about to start anything with this man when you were still feeling tired.)

As he got to the front door, youd both hug and you’d watch him get into his rental before closing and locking it. You'd clean everything up, packing away any unopened food items, folding any blankets, fixing the couch pillows etc. before heading up to your bedroom where you would get ready to get under your comforter for another deep sleep.

before you could sink into the dreamstate, you got a text notification  (you normally had your phone on dnd once you got in bed but this time you forgot) and saw it was from no one but your friend Yahya

“We gotta do another one of these again girl. These chill days aren’t common anymore” You’d laugh at the message as you imagined him saying it in front of you and hearing it in his voice.

“I agree” You’d respond and he’d send you a couple memes to show his excitement at the future of this possibly becoming a ritual between you both whenever you saw each other.

“Goodnight Yahya.” You’d send after snickering at some of the images he sent you.

“Night beautiful.” 

You’d feel the butterflies flutter and try to ignore the heat in your cheeks.

You may or may not have had crush on the man for God knows how long, but that was neither here nor there and you were gonna punch those thoughts and feelings to the back of your head because sleep was more important right now.

As you thought about other things, you hadn’t realised you fell asleep after blinking a couple of times.

It was lights out for you.

---

on the other side of town, yahya was waiting to get a response from you and after a good couple of minutes he figured you’d gone to sleep and decided to follow the lead as he thought about the day you both spent together.

One day, he’d think as he was getting comfortable in the bed before placing his phone on charge.

As he was about to fall asleep, his mind ran across the topic of discussion earlier and said to himself that since he was flying out of the country in a few days, he’d bring you back a couple of things for your future self care days.

He went to sleep with a smile on his face as he thought of the look of pure joy when given the products. Just thinking of your happiness brought him happiness and helped him fall into a deep sleep with thoughts of you running on his mind and the future of self care days between you two possibly being something he’d try to upkeep for as long as he could.

Hey loves!

Hope you guys liked this one.

Thanks to the anon who sent it in (sorry it took so long to get out of the drafts) 

Hope you guys are taking time out for yourself and keeping safe.

Remember to like, comment and/or reblog and thanks for the continuous support.

I appreciate you guys so much.

Stay safe,

-K💜

[desi-lgbt-fest]

Submitting some anonymous fluff for the prompt "Magic": what if there was a folktale about a queer witch?

Kalbaishakhi (bengali): Nor'westers

Dayani (bengali): witch

Bidhu (bengali): moon

Maina loved mangoes. She could eat them all day. Summer was her favourite season because summer brought bright juicy mangoes to be devoured at record speed. So, when she moved to her uncle's village Maina was ecstatic. Her mother used to tell her and her siblings stories about the mango trees in the woods near her childhood home. She'd tell them how she would rush to collect the sweet fruit with her brothers after every kalbaishakhi. "Those fruits were perfect. Even the pickiest of eaters loved them. It was as if they were grown by some supernatural force."

Maina was determined to taste these mangoes but everyone warned her of the dayani who lived in the woods. The scary stories, undoubtedly exaggerated, did not bother her. One day, right after a kalbaishakhi, she sneaked out while it was still raining to find the fabled mango trees. After what seemed like hours of walking and hundreds of mosquito bites, she stumbled upon a thatched hut, nestled amidst a thicket of mango trees. Paying no heed to the warnings of her elders, Maina picked up as many mangoes as she could fit in her dupatta. She found a comfortable spot under a tree where she could finally enjoy the fruits of her labour.

"Enjoying my fruit, I see. When is the last time you ate? You're eating like a starved creature."

Startled, Maina turned around to see a tall figure draped in a blue saree, thick curls cascaded down their shoulders. "Um...are you the dayani everyone is terrified of?"

"Look around you! Little hut hidden deep in the forest, random woman with unruly hair. Obviously, I'm the dayani. The real question is, why aren't you scared?"

"I'd do anything for a good mango and these, my friend, are the best mangoes I have ever tasted."

The witch laughed. "You're right about that. I use a special potion one these trees. The recipe is rare and centuries old."

"So, these trees are magic," excalimed Maina. "Ma was right all along. Sorry, I'm Maina. And who are you?"

Bidhu was surprised at her frankness. "You're not bothered by the whole witch thing at all, huh? Fine. My name's Bidhu."

Maina smiled. "The moon, indeed. By the way, your hair is gorgeous."

"Compliments won't make me forget your thieving ways, Maina," Biddhu said, rolling her eyes.

It was Maina's turn to laugh. "I know. But will they make you invite me inside so I can dry myself?" Maina sheepishly assessed her loot, "We could eat these together?"

Bidhu recognised that twinkle in Maina's eyes, letting her know they were not unlike each other. Hand in hand, they walked into the hut, the dupatta full of mangoes floating in behind them.

ohohohoh,

Mango Orchard? Check

Dupatta? Check

A sassy witch? Double Check!!!! Can this GET any gayer?

[mercurygguk]

💌 get to know me tag

tagged by; @opaljm 🤍

tagging; @writtenwhalien @kookingtae @xpeachesncream @zibermuda @yoontopia @alluremin @cutechim @stayjimin @midnightvantae and anyone else who wanna do it! (y’all don’t have to, it’s almost 50 questions lmao)

1. when is your birthday?

sept 5th

2. what is your favorite color?

baby pink, earthy colors

3. what is your lucky number?

6 and 7

4. how tall are you?

173 cm / 5'8 i think

5. how many pairs of shoes do you own?

a lot but i only use like 3 pairs lol

6. favorite song?

uhhhhh i have a lot but my go-to answer is ‘mikrokosmos’

7. favorite movie?

‘the lion king’ (the cartoon from ‘94) and ‘how to lose a guy in ten days’

8. what would be your ideal partner?

literally jungkook or seunghun from cix BUT i just want someone who’s loyal and funny and makes me feel comfortable

9. do you want children?

at most times i’ll be like ‘dear god no’ and the sometimes i’m imagining what it’d be like to have jungkook’s kids 🥴

10. have you gotten in trouble with the law?

probably HAHAH idk i’d never do it intentionally that’s for sure

11. what color socks are you wearing?

none bc i’m in bed heh

12. bath or shower?

love my showers, a full-on concert out there y’all

13. favorite kind of music?

pop, kpop, rock, indie (basically anything except heavy metal lol)

14. how many pillows do you sleep on?

one, i have two tho in case i roll over onto my other side lmao

15. what position do you sleep in?

usually fall asleep on my back, it’s so comfortable ugh

16. what don’t you like when you’re sleeping?

h e a t - i srsly cannot stand it

17. what do you eat for breakfast?

changes all the time but i love fruits or just something light

18. have you ever tried archery?

um not in like a professional setting but my brother had this thing once so i tried that

19. what are your favorite fruits?

mango, all kinds of melon, bananas and crunchy, juicy pears 🤤

20. favorite swear word?

don’t really have a favorite but i use ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ way too much

21. do you have any scars?

have one that has scarred me for life on my forehead from when i was like 3 or 4 years old

22. are you a good liar?

sometimes, depends on who i’m tryna lie to

23. what is your personality type?

intj i think, idk if it’s good or nah lmao

24. what is your favorite type of girl?

how do I answer this? is it like a question for if you’re into girls or??? bc i’m not 😔

25. right or left handed?

right handed, i can snap my fingers with both tho 😏

26. favorite food?

anything italian, some danish dishes and some Korean dishes

27. are you clean or messy?

clean most of the time, my brain can’t tolerate mess for long

28. favorite foreign food?

oh- well, italian and korean, indian too

29. how long does it take you to get ready?

10 minutes or so

30. most used phrase?

‘what the fuck’ me think

31. are you a good singer?

not at all 😀

32. do you sing to yourself?

yeah i always have some random song on my mind

33. biggest fear?

d***h and not getting to do what i wanna do

34. do you like short or long hair?

both, for myself tho i like long

35. are you into gossip?

not really, but i love to rant about people who annoy me lmao

36. extrovert or introvert?

ambivert that turned into an introvert over the pandemic <- what @opaljm said 🥲

37. favorite school subject?

english

38. what makes you nervous?

idk actually, can’t think of something, boys 🥴 bc me an introvert now

39. who was your first real crush?

some dude in high school i think

40. how many piercings do you have?

one in each ear, currently thinking about getting a nose ring

41. how fast can you run?

very fast if i have to

42. what makes you angry?

too much, it’s annoying actually

43. do you like your own name?

yeah, but i like the shorter version of it more - ‘cami’

44. what are your weaknesses?

temper, impatient sometimes, easily annoyed

45. what are your strengths?

thinking far ahead, finding easy/good solutions, sometimes patient af HAHAH it makes no sense

46. what color is your bed spread?

white

47. what color is your room?

white

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

Dan Hibiki: It’s things like these that keep me up at night.”

Dan Hibiki and his two “pupils” Blanka and Sakura kasugano were currently relaxing in the Saikyo Dojo, after a hard day of training.

Normally, Dan would be stretching and maybe taking a quick power nap but he had questions for Blanka.

“Hey, Jimmy?”

Blanka was in the middle of eating a fruit.

“Mm, yeah?”

“How’d you get the electric stuff?”

Blanka stopped eating, licking some juice off of his claws.

“When I got stuck in the Amazon, I had to eat what I could find. I was small at the time so any of the big animals were no go.”

He took another bite of the juicy melon.

“So I started small and ate electric eels, the shocks hurt me at first but I eventually got used to it.”

Dan’s eyes widened.

“I guess I got more used to it than I thought, because I woke up one morning and I could channel the electricity around my body.”

He shrugged.

“So, there we go.”

Dan’s jaw hit the floor, before regaining his voice.

“Any chance you could tell me where to find some Eels?”

Blanka nervously scratched his head.

“I’m not not sure it would work for you.”

“Darn.”

Dan would have said something else but he wasn’t sure where Sakura was.

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Dan spoke again.

“So, how’d you get the green skin?”

Blanka shrugged, taking a mango out from the bag of fruit he carried with him. Dan could only say one thing before Blanka took a bite out of the juicy fruit.

“It’s things like these that keep me up at night.”

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine:

Erik is the student and reader is the professor.

“When you are in my class, you will learn to pay attention and not disrupt me.”

Miss. Baxter.

Professor in Microeconomic Theory II for the Doctorate program in Engineering. People who previously had her as a teacher complained of how much of a hard ass she was but it was for good reason. That’s why Erik decided to get within the woman’s good graces and become her teachers assistant. All he cared about was getting his Doctorate degree at MIT and graduating. If he was being honest, the whole school thing was weighing heavy on him. Noticable dark circles under his eyes, facial hair more filled out, consuming more coffee than he would have liked, overworking his body in the gym to keep fit for his life after college, all of those things played a role in his shutting down.

Miss. Baxter was only nice to Erik in class, maybe it was because he had a way of sweet talking people. Erik was charismatic and Miss. Baxter enjoyed his company while grading papers and in class activities. She looked forward to seeing him, and the older woman couldn’t hide her attraction to him. She was still young, just five years his age. Currently, she was teaching a segment on Supply and Demand. A poin-dexter type who loved to challenge Erik every second felt the need to disrupt Miss. Baxter during her teaching hours. She hated that, no, despised it.

“You want me to have a talk with him, Miss. Baxter?”

Erik looked at the guy who reminded him of Mandark from Dexters Labortatory, squinting his eyes to show him that he wasn’t fucking around. That seemed to work, the Mandark look alike kept his eyes in his books now, good boy.

“No need, Mr. Stevens. I’m sure this is the last time, yes?”

Her Caribbean accent soothes him. Especially when she was putting someone in their place. The class lasted for about an hour and a half and tonight Erik was more tired than usual. He even had to stop from fucking his usual campus pussy to get some sleep. Then here is Miss. Baxter, his professor and crush, sounding and looking all types of sexy. She spoke her final words on the lesson and dismissed the class, everyone except for Erik leaving the lecture hall. Miss. Baxter erases the board, giving Erik a full view of her ass in those tight charcoal grey wide leg pants she wore.

“How was the lesson today, Erik?”

Erik grabbed his things, heading down the steps within the lecture hall to take his usual seat next to Miss. Baxter at her large dark oak wood desk.

“It was pretty good, you know I don’t have any complaints, you teach very well.”

Finally next to her, half empty coffee mug in hand, Erik could make out the smell of apricots and peaches on her skin. Damn, she always smelled fruity. Yesterday he caught a whiff of her pin curled hair. It smelled like strawberries and kiwis.

“Mango slices?” She offered, like always.

“Sure, you must’ve heard my stomach.”

They both share a comfortable laugh before Miss. Baxter handed him her folder of activities that needed to be graded. After that, she would have a pile of Research papers for him to take home and look over. 12 page research papers.

“I’m not going to nag you like a mother, but, Erik, are you sure this is okay for you? This isn’t overwhelming?”

Erik finished chewing on the juicy mango slice before answering, “Nah, I’ve dealt with worse stress than this.”

Miss. Baxter watched the way Erik would sit with a straight back, eyes sharp like a hawk and reflexes so quick it reminded her of the speed of light. He was so structured it made her organized life look less put together.

“Are you a military man?”

“Yes,” He turned his low eyes on her, “Navy first, now Military.”

“Wow,” she pulled some stray hairs behind her ear, “No wonder why you’re so...”

“Intimidating? Was that what you were going to say Miss. Baxter?”

She smiles, picking up her red ink pin to start on her pile of activities, “No, just very structured...and at ease in stressful situations like a Military man. My father is a veteran.”

Erik rolled his tongue over his teeth, nodding his head in acceptance of her response.

“You have a good eye for that shit- sorry,”

“You’re grown, no need to apologize.”

“You just, I don’t wanna cuss in front of you.”

She scrunched her face, “why not?”

“You might use that metal ruler to wack me over my head.”

She couldn’t fight the fit of giggles escaping her. The sound was so peaceful to Erik. None of the other classmates would ever have the pleasure of witnessing this. Such a beautiful and intelligent black woman.

“You’re so gorgeous, Miss. Baxter.”

She stops abruptly, the tiny hitch of her breath causing him to smirk.

“I...Thank you, Erik.”

“Are you married?”

“No.” Miss. Baxter has to double check question five to make sure she marked it correctly.

“Damn, that’s a shame...I would wife you up if I wasn’t so fucked up...”

She gave him a curious look, wondering what he meant by that exactly. She couldn’t see what was so fucked up about him. Maybe he suffered from a little PTSD from being in the Military that she didn’t know about but what else could be so fucked up about him? He seemed so...perfect.

“It’s never good to talk down on yourself.”

“It’s not a talk down, it’s just the truth.”

Erik unwrapped his hair from the head wrap he wore, shaking out his tapered dreads. They framed his eyes, shadowing them from her line of vision.

“I’m finished this pile, give me the rest of yours.”

She handed it over without hesitation.

“So...what’s next for you? After school? Do you plan on applying your Engineering skills in the Military? I mean, you could get into the mechanical aspects of it, or even the computer science bit of it too.”

Erik recapped the pin, adding the finished activity to the finished pile, “Yeah, just for a bit. Then I plan on traveling.”

Miss. Baxter nods before taking a sip of her cold water. What She really wanted to do was tell Erik how handsome he was but then she felt like that was going too far. There was a comfortable silence for a while until she reached out to grab another mango, grazing Erik’s fingers with hers. She could feel that in her skin, her teeth biting down hard on the mango to fight an airy sigh from escaping her lips.

“Shit,” Erik says while stroking back his dreads from his glasses, “I didn’t realize it was 10:00 pm.”

Her eyes looked up at the old grandfather clock on the wall. It was indeed 10:00 pm.

“You’re right, we should wrap this up.”

“Mm,” he hums in approval, packing things away in his carry on. Miss. Baxter took that distraction of his to admire him fully. She stared at the angles and contours of the side of Erik’s face, the pout of his lips so inviting and the curl of his lashes adorable against his masculine face.

“What’s your first name, Miss Baxter?”

She stole her eyes away from him, packing her things, “Mya.”

“Is it cool if I call you Mya from now on?”

She blushed, side eyeing Erik in a playful manner, “Only because your my favorite student, Erik.”

“Cool,” he reached out to squeeze her shoulder gently. It was friendly but it held a certain longing as well. Miss. Baxter grabbed the hand on her shoulder, taking it to squeeze it. She looked down at their hands, body turning from side to side in that swivel chair nervously. Miss. Baxter felt Erik release her hand, taking his pointer finger and thumb to gently grab her chin, making her look up at him.

“Relax, there is nothing wrong with what’s going on between me and you. Like you said, I’m grown...you’re grown.”

“I know but,” She blinked away from him, “I don’t want my attraction to you to interfere with your education, Erik.”

“Oh, I’ll get my education regardless. Only problem I have is how sexy that Island girl dialect sounds rolling off your tongue.”

Miss. Baxter bit down on her lip, closing her eyes to calm her fluttering belly.

“And then you like to wear those fitted bell bottoms...” Erik makes his voice sultry and low, “and you smell like the fruit you eat...”

He was probably wondering if she tasted like it too.

“Erik, I think...I think we should go, it’s late now and...I don’t want to keep you up any longer.”

Miss. Baxter stood, grabbing the handle to her rolling bag, other bag on her shoulder and water bottle in her right hand. Erik stood with her, grabbing his bag from the floor. He walked in front of her, holding the door opened so she could exit first. Their eyes marked similar paths, looking eachother from head to toe.

“Thank you.” She kept in front of him as they walked down the deserted hall of the Science building at MIT. She tried to lessen the switch in her hips but it was too late, Erik was already on it like clock work.

“You ain’t gotta do that,” his words confirmed it.

Finally within the parking lot, Erik walked her to her car, ensuring that she was cool before he made it to his. She placed her things within her trunk, walking back to her drivers side were Erik was leaning against the front of her car, arms folded.

“Same time, Friday night?” Miss. Baxter asks timidly while hanging on to her opened door, not exactly stepping inside.

“Of course, research papers and all, Mya.”

The sound of her name mixed with his West coast dialect made her toes curl in her four inch heels.

“I’m assuming now you’re going to use my name more loosely,” She couldn’t hide her teasing tone.

“You like it so much might as well, right?”

She twirled her key on her finger, “Yes, I like it a lot.”

Before she could crouch down to get into her BMW, Erik grabs her waist, turning her towards him. Her breath hitches, the sudden influx of air burning her lungs. Erik takes both of his hands, grabbing the sides of her face, pulling her into a searing kiss. His tongue rolled with hers, the warm and wet appendage tingling her very own. Sweet from mangos, and sharp in a good way. Miss. Baxter hadn’t had tongue down her throat in a long time. The hardening of her nipples brushed across his T-shirt, her shaking fingers grabbing and twisting the fabric. He was so needy and insatiable. Her back pressed hard against the car, his leg between her thighs keeping them open so he could feel the heat from her crotch against his thigh. She could feel him alright, knocking against her leg like a heavy pole.

“Miss. Mya,” he whispers against her lips, that sly smirk littered with dimples weakening her further, “You sure you don’t wanna see what it’s like to be with me outside of that classroom?”

She bit into her lip harshly, eye lids fluttering. He had his forehead pressed against hers, his hands holding hers at her sides to keep her still.

“Answer me...” He whispers shakily, her head falling back against the car. This gave him access to her neck now, his lips and that tongue of his tasting what he always wanted to taste.

“Answer my fucking question.” He spoke through gritted teeth in her ear, his tongue curling around the diamond stud she wore. His nose was in her hair, hands moving to grab at her hips, rolling his thumbs along her shirt, lifting it from being tucked inside of her pants. Now there was skin on skin contact.

“Yes, yes, I want to,” she spoke rather quickly.

“Forreal?” He was pressed hard against her now. No one could see them so why was she so damn nervous? Maybe it was the fact that a man had showed her interest again.

“Yes, Erik.” She was weakened by this man.

“Fuck. You don’t know what your getting yourself into with me, girl.”

She didn’t know, but maybe Erik could teach her a few things this time around.

[clearwillow]

White Day

A/N: Tohru Honda’s sweet personality from Fruits Basket is the way to describe Rin’s kind personality within this one shot. I hope you all enjoy this short story.

White Day By: @kimmigirl9

Valentine’s Day came and went in a blink of an eye. Now today was March 14th, also known as White Day. A day where men return the favor by gifting the girl a sweet treat in return. I wasn’t a man of sweets but I thought about making a sweet treat from scratch. But I forgot I’m not that handy in the kitchen. I would end up burning the treats instead. I just decided to go out and just buy a sweet treat instead. “Maybe chocolate covered strawberries?” Finding a gift for Rin wouldn’t be too hard. She wasn’t picky when it came to gifts. I could pick a single flower just from a branch of a tree and she would appreciate it very much.

Walking through the city I looked through the windows of shops near my townhome. Nothing called to me. Though the sweet gifts were white, they weren’t the exact white I was looking for. Instead of a sweet treat I decided to look at jewelry. I’ve never gifted Rin jewelry before, but I know she would love whatever I presented her. After I walked a few blocks I found the jewelry shop. Looking through the glass window the perfect shade of white caught my eye. The necklace was the perfect white. The silver chained held a plum blossom flower. “Rin’s scent.” The flower necklace was in fact what Rin’s scent was. I knew I had to buy this before anyone else did.

I walked inside and was greeted by the manager I believe. “Good morning to you sir. My name is Jakotsu, how may I be of assistance to you on this fine day?” His voice had a bit of a girly tone to it. He was dressed in a woman’s festival kimono and his hair was pulled back with a hairpin.

I pointed over my shoulder, “the plum blossom necklace in the window. I would like to purchase the piece.”

“Ah, such a fine piece I have to agree.” He went over and picked the necklace from the bust it rested on. “Would you like it gift wrapped?” He asked cheerfully.

“Yes, it’s a white day gift,” I said quickly.

The dude’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “You must have a special girl in your life.” I only nodded to him. He placed the necklace in its proper box and then wrapped it up in shiny white paper and gold ribbon. “Is there anything else I could be of service to you or will this be it?”

“Just the necklace, how much?” I asked as I pulled out my wallet from my back pocket.

He rang me up, “that will be ¥11,000 yen sir,” he said with a smirk. I handed him my gold card to pay for Rin’s gift. “Thank you sir. You have a marvelous day. I do hope the special girl of yours enjoys your gift.” I only nodded my head and left without another word to him.

I looked at the time on my phone and it was almost noon. “I’m supposed to meet Rin at the white day festival at the park.” Turning into a ball of white light I shot towards Ueno Park. She wanted to have a picnic to celebrate today. I wasn’t the one for picnics but I didn’t want to let her down and went along with it.

Arriving at the park the festival was in full swing. Couples young and old were scattered around enjoying the festivities with one another. Vendors lined up and down the walkway selling anything from marshmallow treats, to white chocolates, and jewelry. It’s a good thing I found Rin’s gift in town. I hope she likes it when I present it to her later.

The wind blew around me and I could pick up Rin’s sweet scent not too far off from where I was. “So she’s near the lake?” I veered around the couples and walked down the paved path for a few minutes. Looking to my right, there she was. Rin was dressed elegantly in a long white kimono dress. I never seen her look this beautiful before. She is usually dressed like a tomboy since she plays different sports. Seeing her dressed this magnificent I realized she has an amazing frame. The white fabric wrapped around her body like art. I never knew she had such a delicate figure. Her hair was pulled back and wrapped up tight with a hairpin keeping it in place. While I’m dressed in a quarter sleeve white button up shirt and denim blue jeans. My long silver hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail. I look more like a university student studying to be a lawyer with the black glasses I’m wearing.

I walked over to her as she had her back to me, “Rin?” I called to her softly.

My voice I guess startled her as she jumped a few feet. When she turned around her eyes lit up. “Sesshomaru, you startled me. How are you?” She asked softly and bowed before me. Lifting her head she gestured a hand to sit down on the blanket she had set up.

“The same as always. I may as well ask you the same.” I took a seat across from her as she sat on her knees.

“I am well, thank you for asking,” she smiled brightly. “Are you hungry? I made some fish cutlets and a few other delicious foods?” She pulled out a plate of fried fish, a bowl of mixed fruits, and a plate of raw vegetables. I have to say Rin has a green thumb when it comes to cooking. I nodded to her question and picked up a piece of fish. Bringing the cutlet to my mouth I could smell it was cod. She knows my favorite fish all too well. I took a medium sized bite and chewed it quickly. “Is it to yourself liking?” She asked happily.

“It’s good. It’s very fresh and the cod has a juicy taste,” I let her know. Her chocolate eyes lit up with enjoyment. “Are you going to eat?” She hasn’t picked up any piece of food yet.

“Oh! Yes, I just wanted to ask if you liked my cooking. You know I’m going to get my culinary degree and I need someone’s feedback.” She picked up a small piece of cutlet and took a small bite. “It’s so good. This definitely will be one of the foods I’ll make for my entrance exam.” I know she’ll do well. “After our lunch is there anything you would like to do or go see?” Her smile is what attracted me to her. Though we haven’t hadn’t our first kiss yet and we are technically dating, I just wasn’t ready.

“We can walk around the perimeter of the lake or the festival,” I let her know. Her eyes keep lighting up.

“That would be wonderful and I really appreciate that very much,” she said as she took another bite of the meal she made. Her lips were calling to me. I know I won’t be able to resist them much longer. She picked up a bowl of fruit which had mango, strawberries, and cherries in it. “Here have some fruit and also some veggies.” She picked up the plate of carrots and broccoli. I grabbed a small plate and put a few pieces of each food she held in front of me.

“Do you happen to have anything to drink?”

“Oh how rude of me.” She placed the food down and pulled two water bottles out. “I’m so sorry Sesshomaru. I was so excited for you to try my food that I forgot that I brought water for us.”

“It’s quite alright,” I let her know. She can be a bit of a ditz, but that’s what I like about her personality. “When do you take your exam for culinary school?”

“At the end of the month. I’m a bit nervous though. The school I’m trying to get into, well they expect high results. So since I’m planning the cod cutlets I want to create a sauce to put as a drizzle on top. So far ones I’ve made in the past don’t taste great with it,” she said softly.

“Why not try salsa? Possibly mango?” I hope these ideas brighten her day.

“Mango salsa?” She thought. “Oh wow that actually could work. Thank you Sesshomaru,” she bowed to me with gratitude. “When I make it, will you be my first tester?”

“Are you trying to make me your guinea pig?” I asked, giving her an awkward smile.

“Haha, maybe. Besides no one else, even my other friends wouldn’t try my food. So you were the only one I knew would.”

I couldn’t turn her down for that. “I’ll be your guinea pig.”

“Yay! Thank you. I promise this will be a meal you’ll love the most.”

0/0/0/0

Later after we cleaned up our lunch, we went and looked around the festival. The vendors tried to persuade us into buying their products. The items weren’t equally as special as the gift I’ll present Rin later. The perfumes burnt my nose that I had to pull us away from them. “I don’t blame you for wanting to get away from the perfume vendors Sesshomaru. The aroma is too strong for me,” she said softly. “I prefer aromas that are light with a hint of citrus.” I smiled very quickly at her words.

As we veered around everyone dark clouds started to cover the sky. “Looks like it’s going to get bad here soon. Come Rin, let’s get under a pavilion.” I took her hand without asking and I booked us under the closest one near us. I guess others had the same thought. “We’ll wait here till the storm passes.” The rain came down in sheets. Lots of people were getting soaked. It’s a good thing I got us under here fast because we both would have been soaked like everyone else. Plus with Rin’s white kimono, she would be totally exposed and I couldn’t let that happen.

“Okay, let’s take a seat,” she pointed towards the dirty tables. I can’t let Rin get her white kimono dirty. So instead I took a seat and pulled her over my lap. “Umm, Sesshomaru?” She had a look of confusion in her eyes.

“You’ll get your kimono dirty if you sit on the bench. We’ll move here soon.” I can tell the storm won’t last long. Maybe ten minutes at most.

“Okay. Is there anything you want to do later? I know they’re having a fireworks show tonight.” I looked at my phone again and it was almost two-thirty.

“It’s still quite a while till the show starts. We can go get a cup of tea after the storm passes.”

“Tea sounds lovely. Do you want to go to one of the cafes in town or here at the park?”

“In town.” I don’t care for vendors’ tea. They aren’t worth the money. Rin suddenly moved and rested her head against my shoulder. “Are you cold Rin?” I thought I felt a slight shiver from her.

“A little, but I’ll be okay. I enjoy the cool breeze. I’m sorry, I should have asked if it was okay to lay my head against you,” she said as she tried to sit up. I pulled her back against me and released my mokomoko. This would be the first time she would see my tail. I wrapped it around her, not daring to let her go. “Umm…is this alright?”

“It’s quite alright. My tail will keep you warm.”

Her delicate hand slithered through my fur which actually felt comforting. “Your tail is so fluffy and cozy Sesshomaru. Why have you never shown me your true side before?”

“I just never thought about it. Is it something you wish to see?” I’ve kind of debated several times to show her my true form. But fear struck me thinking she would run off.

“Yes, but only if you are comfortable with showing me,” her voice was very smooth when she said those words. “If not today, maybe sometime in the future?”

“We’ll see, for now let’s go and get some tea.” The rain finally came to an end and the clouds started to disperse. Retrieving my mokomoko we both got to our feet and walked out towards the city.

The cafe was right across the street from the park. Inside I ordered us simple jasmine tea. “It seems that all the seats are taken, Sesshomaru. Why don’t we just go for a walk? I know there’s a path in the park that goes a bit into the woods. I heard rumors of a meadow that’s very beautiful and filled with lots of flowers.”

I knew of the meadow she spoke of. “Sure,” without asking I took her hand and we left the cafe and headed for the path. It took us a bit to get through the crowds of people since it was getting a lot busier than it was earlier. But after a few minutes we finally made it under the arbor of trees within the woods.

“I love the smell of the forest after a rainstorm. What about you, Sesshomaru?” She asked as she took a sip of her hot tea.

“Only during the night when the moon is out,” I explained to her.

“I have to agree with you on that Sesshomaru. The way the moon shines on the glistening raindrops has a calming effect,” I didn’t respond. “I love to listen to music during and after the rain,” She said joyfully.

“What music would that be?” I’m kind of curious because I don’t know what she listens to.

“I’m the weird type when it comes to music. But…I love to listen to Frédéric Chopin’s ‘Raindrop’. There’s something about his pieces I love to fall asleep to.” So she’s into piano music?

“It doesn’t make you weird. I too listen to different composers of the piano. The music stimulates the brain in a good way. It helps me focus on studying.”

I guess my response enlightened her. “That’s amazing Sesshomaru. It makes me happy knowing someone else enjoys the same type of music as me.”

I wonder if she’ll let me play some Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata? I’ll ask her at a later date. We both remained quiet for quite some time. We both finished our teas and threw them away in a proper trash can tear the meadow. I could tell we were the only ones that would be there. It was quiet and calm. The only sound of people were back at the park. Since no one else was here, I was now debating to show Rin my true form. “Rin?” I said her name so softly.

“Yes Sesshomaru?” We were now in the middle of meadow. The sun was slowly setting behind the trees with just enough light for her to see my form.

“Would you like to see my form?” I asked quickly.

I looked to see not only her expression, but her response. “I would love to see your true form Sesshomaru. Do I need to stand back? Is right here fine?”

“Right here is fine. Just allow me to step back a few feet. But promise me one thing,” I said as I held up a finger.

Her eyes became like saucers, “what’s that?” She asked quickly.

“Please do not run off under any circumstances. My form will be ten times the size of the normal size dog.”

“I promise. I bet your form will be amazing. Just promise not to chase me, haha,” she said jokingly.

I only nodded and stepped back several feet. Clearing my mind, a white cool wind blew around me and I allowed my eyes to turn red. The markings along my face changed shape and soon my body changed from my human form to my true form. I went from a five and ten inches man to almost thirty-five feet tall.

I never took my eyes off of Rin. I could tell she was holding her breath and she must be a bit nervous. I lowered myself in front of her. But it would be nice if I could talk but it’s one thing I lack in my true form. “Sess…Sesshomaru?” I nodded my head to reassure that it was me. “Wow!” She carefully lifted her hand to the side of my muzzle. “So soft,” she whispered softly. “Is there anything else you can do in this form?”

“I wonder if she’ll allow me to take her on a flight?” I turned my body to the side. Hopefully she’ll understand why I did this.

“Do you want me to get on your back?” I could tell she was a bit hesitant. I nodded my head to her again. “Okay, I’m guessing I’m going to need to hold on tight?” She asked as she climbed up on my back. I could feel she was side saddling.

I nodded my head again and bounded into the air. I could feel her body heat against my back and her head hiding within my neck. I guess I should have explained myself better of what she was about to face. I stopped midway into the air and lightly purred that it was okay to look up.

It took her a few minutes before I felt Rin lift herself up. I heard her lightly gasp, “oh wow. The view is magnificent Sesshomaru.” I brought her high into the sky as she viewed the city we live in from a different perspective. “Sesshomaru why didn’t you tell me you could fly? You’re amazing and very well gifted with such power.” She laid down again and started rubbing the fur along my neck. “I wished you would’ve shown me much sooner. I want to get to know you more, Sesshomaru, each and every day we’re together.”

With those words I transferred back to my human form, grabbed her before she could fall, and pulled her around so I could hold her waist. “You’ll learn in due time. Before you can ask your next question as I can see in your eyes, yes I can fly in my human form.”

Her bright smile turned to laughter, “you can read me like an open book Sesshomaru. Oh!” Her hand went to her head and I could see the tight bun it was in earlier was now a mess. She pulled the hairpin out and allowed her raven hair to fall down past her waist. “Much better. That hairpin has been bothering me all day,” she laughably said.

“Hmm, ready to go back to the festival?” I asked her.

She smiled brightly, “yes.”

0/0/0/0

Nighttime came and the festival was in full swing. The same couples young and old gathered all around the park. The fireworks show would be starting soon and everyone was trying to get the best spot. Rin and myself found a perfect spot on an island in the middle of the lake. We set the picnic blanket back up and took our seats. I left her for a few minutes and flew back with new cups of hot tea. “Just in time Sesshomaru, they’ll be starting soon.” I handed her the jasmine tea she requested. “Thank you.”

We took our seats again and sat there in silence for a few moments when I remember the gift for Rin I still had in my pocket. Placing my cup down I pulled the white box with gold ribbon out. “Here Rin, this is my White Day gift for you. I hope you like it,” I said softly.

She smiled happily, “Sesshomaru you didn’t have to get me anything. You just being with me today was the best gift I could ask for.” She gently took the gift from me and opened it. When she opened the velvet blue box her eyes lit up. “Sess…Sesshomaru, this necklace is beautiful, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I wanted to see how it looked on her. “Lift your hair up,” I said as I pulled the necklace from its resting spot. She did as I told her and I wrapped the necklace around her delicate neck and clipped it into place.

She turned around to face me, “so…how does it look?”

Only one word described how it presented on her exposed neck, “perfect.”

Suddenly bright lights shot into the sky across the lake from us. Different colors of white, gold, silver and many other colors lit before us.

“The sky is so beautiful Sesshomaru, I have to say today has to be the best day for us.”

“Indeed,” the only thing that was beautiful was the girl next to me.

As we watched the show Rin turned to face me. Her hair blew with the light wind, “Sesshomaru I want to try something.”

“What would that be?”

She leaned in till her lips were several inches from mine, “allow me to be your first kiss.” I didn’t even respond back. I nodded my head as we slowly leaned into one another and parted our lips. When we contacted skin to skin heat built up between us. It was just as I imagined how our first kiss would be. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I cupped her cheek. I even wrapped my free arm around her waist. Her lips were warm and I could taste her scent of plum blossoms. Abruptly as our first kiss started, it ended. Rin pulled back just a bit, but rested her forehead against mine. “I love you Sesshomaru,” she finally said.

“As do I my dear Rin.” I took her lips to mine again, as we ignored the finale of the fireworks for the White Day festival.

[mbmbam-quotes]

Griffin: It's by Yahoo Answers user Easton, who asks, "What are some sexy foods? Besides hot dogs, pickles, etc."

Travis: Obv. Totes obv.

Griffin: "For example - a hot dog, a pickle, a melon. Those can all be used as another meaning. What are some other foods than can be used that way?"

Travis: Okay. I thought this question asker was saying 'not hot dogs and pickles because of their inherently phallic nature', but if they're trying to suggest that saying, like, 'I wanna be all over your hot dog' is in any way sexual, they're the worst.

Griffin: 'Ay, ay, ayyy, lemme see that melon.' Um...I want to read though, this new American classic from Spanky Gazpacho DW. This was rated the top answer. It has four thumbs up, zero thumbs down. The asker gave it one out of five stars though, so it's a bit contentious. It is not the answer that the asker wanted, but it is the answer they deserve. Spanky Gazpacho DW says...

Justin: Say that name just eight more times.

Griffin: Spanky Gazpacho - that's an answer right there.

Travis: Yah. And he was also my favorite Lil Rascal.

Griffin: Spanky Gazpacho DW says, and please just let me get through this, "Mango is really sexy. DON'T cut it up and eat it with a fork though. You have to let the juice drip down your face and onto your naked rack. You have to s-s-s-suck on that seed. Share it visually and expressively and then literally. Nothing, nothing better than a beautiful, sweet mango smeared all over the body and slowly kissed and licked off."

...

Justin: Can I just quickly, like quick sidebar, I did a Google-roo of Spanky Gazpacho. This is a unique individual haunting Yahoo Answers. The top response for Spanky Gazpacho is a question - "Does anybody here know someone that is nicknamed 'Gazpacho'?" And the top answer is from Spanky Gazpacho. He says, "Icy gazpacho is that cold, emotionless acidic tomato-based soupy guy, Gazzy, that got all suspended by 'yamster' on Christmas Day. Obviously a beaten-up individual bruised by years of haunting. Not like a sweet, juicy, dribbling tropical mango man, smothered with affection from caring and giving strangers who have taken him under their wing. A truly one-sided affair for which he is overwhelmingly the person who takes the benefit of others' selflessness."

Travis: WHAT? Wait, is this motherfucker just like a prophet for mangoes?

Griffin: I think this motherfucker is an artificial intelligence, who is very slowly and surprisingly sensually becoming self-aware.

Travis: Is it possible that the deal is that Spanky Gazpacho represents everything that's wrong with humanity and he realizes, or she realizes, that mango, that mango boy or whatever they said was the other person is all the good, right? And while they're in a constant struggle with their icy nature versus the juicy nature, Spanky Gazpacho also realizes the beauty and wonder that IS mango and wishes they could just be closer to them but knows that their yin and yang-like structure stops them from ever actually consummating the relationship.

Griffin: That was, Travis, the fucking craziest thing you've ever said. And you literally just created a goddamn bonkers religion around some wack Yahoo Answers shit that you just found.

Travis: I'm just saying that its easy for us to judge when we don't know the whole story.

Justin: Okay, uh, I'll test that theory - You're an insane person. You're right that was easy, I judged you like that. Travis, I was having a dissociative episode while you were talking because I was so unable to process the words coming out of your mouth. This podcast, this episode, I thought we had some pretty good stuff - Adam Levine goofs, I'm into it. Now it's The Ring. Because what you said was so fucking weird.